Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company (VNVC) and Switzerland-based Substipharm Biologics have launched the country's first vaccine targeting hand, foot and mouth disease caused by enterovirus 71 (EV71), with vaccinations beginning on September 25 at nearly 300 VNVC centres nationwide.
Dr Truong Huu Khanh, vice president of the Ho Chi Minh City Society of Infectious Diseases, described the vaccine as a long-awaited breakthrough for paediatricians who have witnessed repeated outbreaks in which large numbers of children were hospitalised and rapidly developed severe complications.
EV71 is considered particularly dangerous because of its strong tendency to attack the nervous system. The virus can quickly damage the central nervous system, especially the brainstem, hypothalamus and cerebellum, potentially leading to autonomic nervous system disorders and acute cardiopulmonary complications.
Tran Dac Phu, former director of the Ministry of Health's Preventive Medicine Department, said the introduction of the EV71 vaccine marks a new phase in Vietnam's efforts to combat hand, foot and mouth disease.
“This represents a significant shift from relying mainly on infection-control measures to combining them with vaccination to create active immunity and provide earlier, more effective protection for children,” he said.
Phu added that vaccination should form part of a comprehensive prevention strategy that also includes hygiene measures, disease surveillance and early case detection.
Bach Thi Chinh, medical director of the VNVC Vaccination System, said hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by multiple viruses. Despite decades of research, scientists have struggled to develop highly effective vaccines, particularly against the EV71 strain.
Because EV71 is responsible for many of the most severe and fatal cases, a vaccine demonstrating strong protection against the virus is viewed as one of the most effective tools available to safeguard children.
The vaccine is approved for children from two months to under six years of age. Depending on the age at which vaccination begins, children will receive either two or three doses.
The vaccine underwent phase III clinical trials in Vietnam and demonstrated strong protection against EV71, the strain associated with most severe cases and deaths from the disease, for which no specific treatment currently exists.
According to published data, the vaccine achieved an efficacy rate of 96.8 per cent against EV71-related hand, foot and mouth disease. No EV71 infections were recorded among vaccinated participants during the trial, and the vaccine generated strong immune responses against multiple EV71 subtypes.
Strong demand from parents
The vaccine attracted significant interest on its first day of availability, with families in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Can Tho and other localities bringing children for screening and vaccination.
VNVC reported receiving tens of thousands of advance registrations across its nationwide network of nearly 300 vaccination centres.
Children under the age of three accounted for around 70 per cent of those registered and vaccinated on the first day, reflecting strong demand for early protection against EV71.
According to Chinh, VNVC began working with Substipharm Biologics several years ago to bring the vaccine to Vietnam as quickly as possible, responding to longstanding demand from parents and healthcare professionals.