Laos declares polio outbreak; WHO recommends Vietnam strengthen surveillance.

(Chinhphu.vn) – The Ministry of Health has just announced that on October 17, Laos declared a nationwide polio epidemic after detecting 3 cases of polio. The WHO warns that the risk of polio entering Vietnam is very high and imminent.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong speaks at the meeting - Photo: VGP

The risk of polio entering Vietnam is real.

At the national online meeting on polio prevention and control organized by the Ministry of Health on December 12, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong stated that over 95% of children in Vietnam have been vaccinated against polio for many years, and Vietnam has not recorded any cases of polio. The WHO recognized polio eradication nationwide in 2000.

However, following developments in the polio situation in Laos, where one case tested positive for vaccine-derived polio virus type 1 (VDPV1) in late August and two more positive cases were recorded among 28 healthy children in early October 2025, Laos declared a nationwide polio epidemic on October 17th.

The WHO considers the outbreak in Laos a regional outbreak and recommends that countries bordering Laos jointly implement response measures to combat the epidemic. The organization also warns that the risk of polio entering Vietnam is very high and present.

Following WHO warnings about polio in the region and worldwide , which increase the risk of polio virus entering Vietnam and the potential resurgence of the disease after years of being recognized as eradicated by the organization, the Ministry of Health stated that it has urgently directed units to strengthen surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis cases, increase regular vaccination to maintain and improve immunity rates in the community, assess risks, and enhance testing capacity…

Overview of the meeting - Photo: VGP

WHO recommends that Vietnam

At the meeting, the WHO representative in Vietnam stated that the 43rd meeting of the Emergency Committee on Polio under the International Health Regulations, convened by the WHO Director-General in October 2025, concluded that the risk of international spread of this virus continues to be a global health emergency.

Areas that have eliminated polio are still affected by outbreaks of polio caused by genetically modified strains of the virus, such as Europe with many countries experiencing outbreaks in 2024-2025; and the Western Pacific region with outbreaks in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea in 2022-2025, and Laos in 2025.

In Vietnam specifically, the organization warns of an immunity gap due to the polio vaccination rate not meeting targets, the acute flaccid paralysis surveillance system failing to meet targets in recent years, and environmental monitoring having been suspended since December 2023.

This organization recommends that Vietnam respond to the epidemic using a regional approach. Specifically, it suggests urgently implementing a supplementary bOPV vaccination campaign in high-risk provinces and strengthening catch-up and supplementary bOPV/IPV vaccinations in other provinces.

Simultaneously, a nationwide polio preparedness and response plan should be developed, including vaccination, surveillance, and testing. Furthermore, suspected cases should be reviewed every 1-2 weeks, and samples should be taken from all cases of flaccid paralysis in children under 15 years old for testing…

In addition, it is necessary to restore environmental monitoring points in the North and expand them to high-risk areas; ensure sufficient testing supplies for monitoring and testing of the environment.

Strengthen cross-border coordination with Laos and cooperate with global partners to proactively prevent disease; share information promptly with the WHO and the Global Polio Network to receive timely support for the country and the region.

In particular, following the Law on Disease Prevention recently passed by the National Assembly, the WHO recommends the early development of relevant decrees and circulars to facilitate activities responding to polio and other infectious diseases.

Hien Minh

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/lao-cong-bo-dich-bai-liet-who-khuyen-nghi-viet-nam-tang-cuong-giam-sat-102251212102744144.htm