Disease prevention in schools

The beginning of the school year is also the peak season for many infectious diseases because children gather in large numbers and come into close contact with many friends.

Teachers and students of Phan Boi Chau Kindergarten (Hong Bang Ward) during a nutrition lesson. Photo: NGOC OANH

Summer vacation is over, students return to school, starting a new school year. The beginning of the school year is also the peak season for many infectious diseases because children gather in large numbers and have close contact with many friends.

Some infectious diseases are prone to outbreaks.

Every year, the time when millions of students start the new school year is also the time when some infectious diseases are likely to break out. According to the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC), September and October are the times when many infectious diseases are likely to arise and spread in the community and schools, especially when the weather changes, the density of students is high, and the living environment changes. Common diseases include: respiratory infections, seasonal flu, COVID-19, hand, foot and mouth disease, chickenpox, measles-rubella, dengue fever, diarrhea and diseases caused by intestinal bacteria... If infectious diseases are not prevented in time, the epidemic can spread rapidly, directly affecting the health and learning of students as well as the safety of the community.

According to statistics from the Hanoi CDC, during the week from August 29 to September 5, the entire city of Hanoi recorded 161 cases of dengue fever in 61 wards and communes. In 2025, Hanoi recorded 4,000 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, 0 deaths; the number of cases increased compared to the same period in 2024. The Hanoi CDC stated that the number of cases of hand, foot and mouth disease increased, most of which were sporadic cases, with no complicated outbreaks recorded. It is forecasted that the number of cases may increase in the coming time.

At the National Children's Hospital, the number of children coming to see a doctor for seasonal flu has increased dramatically in the past 2 months, with many cases being hospitalized due to complications such as pneumonia, otitis media, and convulsions due to high fever - dangerous complications commonly seen in children with flu. Doctors warn that many families are often subjective, thinking that the flu is not serious and delaying medical examinations can lead to unpredictable complications.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health , Vietnam records flu all year round but often increases during the changing seasons, especially from September to April of the following year, coinciding with the time when students return to school after summer vacation. Children are the group most susceptible to flu due to their immature immune systems, poor personal hygiene habits and frequent close contact with friends in the classroom.

According to statistics, in the first 8 months of 2025, the whole country had 111,700 cases of rash fever suspected of measles (11 deaths); 65,100 cases of dengue fever (11 deaths); more than 39,000 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease; 224 cases of viral encephalitis (1 death); 79 cases of meningitis caused by meningococcus.

Protect children with simple measures

In fact, at children's hospitals, the number of infectious disease cases in children coming for examination and hospitalization for treatment is on the rise right at the start of the new school year.

There are four groups of diseases that parents need to pay special attention to during the school year. The first is respiratory diseases, often caused by viruses and transmitted through droplets when coughing or sneezing. Common diseases are seasonal flu, sore throat, tonsillitis, bronchitis and COVID-19 with variants still circulating. The second group is digestive diseases, when children eat and drink and handle shared utensils, they are very susceptible to digestive disorders, acute diarrhea or hand, foot and mouth disease. The third group is infectious diseases that have vaccines to prevent such as measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, diphtheria, whooping cough. Finally, diseases caused by poor hygiene habits, such as intestinal parasites or conjunctivitis from sharing towels and sinks.

To prevent and fight epidemics during the school year, health experts recommend proactively vaccinating fully and on schedule, practicing personal hygiene, keeping schools and families clean, ensuring nutrition and food hygiene, and regularly monitoring health.

Parents can completely take the initiative to protect their children with simple but effective measures such as taking their children to get fully vaccinated according to the schedule, eating cooked food and drinking boiled water, washing hands before eating and after using the toilet. Parents should train their children to wear masks when going to crowded places, cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing, and immediately notify teachers if their children show signs of fever, cough, or fatigue to avoid spreading...
THUY GIANG

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/phong-chong-dich-benh-trong-truong-hoc-520864.html