National online conference on polio prevention and control.

Laos, a neighboring country of Vietnam, has just recorded one case of polio virus type 1 (VDPV1) with a long gene mutation, indicating that the virus had been circulating silently in the community for about three years without being detected. In this context, on the morning of December 12th, the Ministry of Health organized a "National Online Conference on Polio Prevention and Control" in Hanoi to update the situation and propose response solutions.

The conference was attended and chaired by Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien Huong - Deputy Minister of Health; representatives from departments, bureaus, and institutes under the Ministry of Health; representatives from the World Health Organization in Vietnam; and representatives from the Departments of Health of provinces and centrally-administered cities. Attending the conference at the Lao Cai Provincial Department of Health's location were Mr. Luc Hau Giang , Deputy Director of the Department of Health; and representatives from several health units in the province.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong chaired the conference (photo: VOV).

Over the years, the Expanded Immunization Program has been effectively maintained, ensuring that more than 95% of children nationwide receive polio vaccinations. Thanks to this high coverage rate, Vietnam has not recorded any polio cases for many years and was recognized as polio-free by the World Health Organization in 2000. However, the outbreak in Laos is putting Vietnam on high alert. At the end of August 2025, Laos recorded one case testing positive for vaccine-derived polio virus type 1 (VDPV1). By early October, the country had identified two more positive cases from stool samples of healthy children. On October 17, 2025, Laos officially declared a nationwide polio epidemic.

Vietnam still faces risks of polio: Polio vaccination rates have not met targets: in epidemic years, bOPV reached 73% in 2024, and IPV2 reached 86%. Acute flaccid paralysis surveillance has not met targets in recent years; epidemiological and geographical risks (bordering Laos); risks from polio immunity gaps in recent years due to unmet vaccination targets; risks from surveillance gaps (AFP and environmental surveillance); the disease is circulating silently, with delayed detection…

Conference at the Lao Cai province venue.

In Lao Cai province, during the 2020-2025 period, the province implemented vaccination activities to ensure the highest possible effectiveness in polio prevention: Annually, it advised competent authorities to issue a provincial-wide vaccination plan, ensuring that targets were met at least according to the Ministry of Health's assigned targets. In 2025, Lao Cai province issued Plan No. 28/KH-UBND dated January 17, 2025, on the expanded immunization program in Lao Cai province, which set targets for oral polio vaccine (OPV) at 95% or higher and IPV at 90% or higher. Annual vaccination results for polio vaccine consistently achieved rates of 95% or higher. Regarding polio risk, the Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention also reviewed and reported on risk assessment and developed a polio prevention and control response plan for Lao Cai province. In Lao Cai (formerly) the polio risk was 17.6 points, classified as low risk, while in Yen Bai (formerly) it was 25.4 points, classified as medium risk.

Vietnam has not recorded any polio cases for many years, however, the risk of contracting polio still exists.

To prevent polio, the WHO has issued a set of recommendations for Vietnam to respond to the outbreak using a regional approach, including: Urgently implementing a supplementary bOPV immunization campaign in high-risk provinces and strengthening catch-up/catch-up bOPV/IPV immunization in other provinces; Developing a comprehensive polio preparedness and response plan; Monitoring acute flaccid paralysis by conducting weekly visits and actively searching for/investigating cases with timely sampling at all health facilities; Raising the threshold for acute flaccid paralysis, retraining, and ensuring adequate and timely sample collection for testing. Environmental monitoring: Restoring environmental monitoring sites in the North and expanding to high-risk areas. Ensuring sufficient testing supplies for monitoring and testing acute flaccid paralysis and environmental monitoring. Strengthening cross-border coordination with Laos and cooperation with global partners; Sharing information promptly with the WHO and the global polio network is crucial for receiving timely support for the country and region.

The Ministry of Health also outlined the direction and objectives for polio prevention and control communication in the coming period, including: Raising comprehensive awareness and promoting positive behavioral changes in polio prevention and control for the entire community; firmly protecting the achievements in polio eradication that Vietnam has achieved after many years of effort; and preventing any cases of infection caused by wild-type poliovirus (WPV) or mutated poliovirus (cVDPV).

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Source: https://syt.laocai.gov.vn/tin-tuc-su-kien/hoi-nghi-truc-tuyen-toan-quoc-ve-phong-chong-benh-bai-liet-1555968