A delegation led by Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong on March 29 conducted an on-site inspection of disease prevention and control efforts in the southern metropolis, amid concerns that the outbreak could intensify and put increasing pressure on the healthcare system.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Centre for Disease Control, local health facilities recorded 10,886 HFMD cases in the first 12 weeks of 2026, including 1,992 hospitalisations and 221 severe cases. Notably, the number of serious cases has been rising quickly, with some patients experiencing rapid deterioration requiring intensive medical intervention.

A total of 332 outbreak clusters have been identified across the city, including 181 in schools and 151 in the community. Health experts have raised particular concern over the re-emergence of the EV71 virus strain, a major cause of severe complications, which has accounted for around 24% of tested samples since late 2025.

The situation is not limited to Ho Chi Minh City. Across southern Vietnam, the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City reported eight HFMD-related deaths, including four in the city and one each in An Giang, Can Tho, Dong Nai and Dong Thap, underscoring the growing severity of the outbreak.

Hospitals, especially tertiary pediatric facilities, are facing mounting pressure. At Children’s Hospital 2, hundreds of cases have been admitted in the first three months of the year, with many requiring ventilators, dialysis and even advanced life-support interventions such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). In severe cases, the disease can progress within 24 hours, leading to complications affecting the nervous, cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

Medical experts warned that children under 36 months old are at the highest risk, accounting for approximately 80% of severe cases. Kindergartens and childcare settings, where close contact is frequent, have been identified as high-risk environments requiring strict monitoring and control measures. Early detection of suspected cases, even before confirmation, is considered critical to preventing further spread.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong stressed that local authorities must remain vigilant and proactive in surveillance, early detection and rapid containment of outbreaks at their source to prevent wider transmission. She called on the local health sector to ensure readiness in patient admission and treatment, particularly intensive care capacity for severe cases.

The Deputy Minister also warned of the risk of overlapping outbreaks as other infectious diseases such as dengue fever, measles and meningococcal disease show signs of increasing. She urged the activation of comprehensive and high-level response measures to prevent the healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed.

The Ministry of Health has instructed localities to strengthen monitoring systems, promptly detect new cases and clusters, and implement timely containment measures. Authorities are also required to review referral procedures to avoid delays in emergency treatment for rapidly progressing severe cases.

The ministry emphasised that HFMD spreads through multiple routes, including the digestive tract, saliva, respiratory secretions and direct contact, even from asymptomatic carriers. Therefore, preventive measures in communities, particularly in schools and households, must be strictly and consistently enforced.

The ministry held that with more than 25,000 cases recorded nationwide in less than three months, nearly five times higher than the same period last year, containing the HFMD outbreak has become an urgent priority to protect children’s health and minimise fatalities.

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