Hand, foot and mouth disease cases in Ho Chi Minh City have climbed 47 percent, according to Laodong.vn. At one children's hospital in the city, roughly one out of every three inpatients is a severe case, the outlet reported on Friday.
The figures point to a sharp rise in infections among young children in Vietnam's largest city. Laodong.vn did not give a total case count or name the hospital in the summary of its report.
The increase comes as Vietnam.vn reports that VNVC has launched a hand, foot and mouth disease vaccine. Vietnam.vn also published guidance on vaccination against the illness and on preventing and managing infectious diseases in children, along with a warning about serious complications as cases continue to surge.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common childhood viral illness. The reports did not specify which virus strain is driving the current increase or the ages of the children affected.
What to watch next: whether health authorities in Ho Chi Minh City issue updated case counts or new guidance, and how widely the newly launched vaccine is taken up.
