MOH weighs HFMD vaccine strategy as cases plunge 83%

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is evaluating the potential inclusion of a vaccine in its strategy against hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), amid a significant decline in cases this year. The newly available vaccine targets only one of the many viruses causing the disease, according to the Health Ministry's Disease Control Division.

EV-A71 accounts for just 1.5% of enteroviruses detected in Malaysia this year, while other viruses like Pan-Enterovirus and Coxsackievirus A6 are more prevalent. The ministry will weigh the vaccine's usefulness against the broader pattern of HFMD transmission and the currently circulating enteroviruses. HFMD, primarily affecting young children, can spread through various means and is caused by numerous enteroviruses.

Malaysia has experienced a sharp drop in HFMD cases, from 239,907 in the corresponding period last year to 40,879 cases as of August 22. The ministry's review is taking place as a local pharmaceutical company seeks approval to import and potentially produce a finished HFMD vaccine from China, which has demonstrated high efficacy rates.