Enhancing Disease Prevention and Control in Schools in Vietnam

How to enhance disease prevention and control in schools in Vietnam?

On August 29, 2024, the Ministry of Education and Training issued Official Dispatch 4858/BGDDT-GDTC in 2024 (Download) regarding strengthening disease prevention and control in schools.

To proactively implement measures to prevent and control the risk of disease transmission, including measles, whooping cough, hand-foot-mouth disease, and other dangerous respiratory infections among preschool children and students, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) requests the Departments of Education and Training to strengthen the implementation of the following tasks:

(1) Enhance disease prevention propaganda for educational administrators, teachers, and staff in educational institutions through appropriate forms to protect the health of preschool children and students.

Regularly update information on the disease situation and strictly adhere to disease prevention requirements such as ensuring a clean, well-ventilated, and well-lit environment in classrooms; maintaining good personal hygiene, washing hands with soap and clean water, etc.

(2) Proactively cooperate closely with the Department of Health and local authorities to direct disease prevention and control work; regularly monitor the health of preschool children and students to promptly detect suspected cases and notify local health facilities for coordinated action, preventing the spread of diseases in schools; prepare the best conditions to ensure the safety of children and students for the new school year 2024-2025.

(3) Continue to propagate and mobilize parents and families to have their children fully vaccinated according to the schedule as guided by the health sector.

Coordinate to review, check the history, and administer catch-up vaccinations to preschool children and elementary school students according to the guidelines in Plan 980/KH-BYT-BGDDT in 2023 by the Ministry of Health and MOET.

Enhancing Disease Prevention and Control in Schools in Vietnam​ (Image from the Internet)

How to organize the review and update of vaccination history for preschool children and primary students in Vietnam?

Based on Subsection 2, Section 4 of Plan 980/KH-BYT-BGDDT in 2023, the organization of reviewing and updating the vaccination history for preschool children and primary students in Vietnam is as follows:

- Health stations receive the vaccination history information files of children provided by local educational institutions.

- Conduct a review of the files and update the vaccination data of children on the National Immunization Information Management System.

- Notify the list of children who need to submit additionalvaccination records, and the list of children who need catch-up vaccinations for vaccines under the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) to local preschool and elementary educational institutions that have conducted the review.

Preschool and elementary educational institutions will inform parents/caregivers about the results of the vaccination history review of their children.

- For children identified as unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated: schools will cooperate to communicate and mobilize parents/caregivers to bring children for complete catch-up vaccinations according to regulations.

If children are vaccinated at service vaccination points, it is requested that the service vaccination units provide verification information for parents/caregivers to submit back to the schools.

If using vaccines under the EPI, parents/caregivers should register with the educational institutions.

- Educational institutions will send the list of children whose parents agree to catch-up vaccinations back to the health stations for planning vaccination sessions.

Information on vaccines in the expanded immunization program requiring schedule reviews.

How long is the 2024-2025 school year in Vietnam?

Based on Article 2 of Decision 2045/QD-BGDDT in 2024:

Principles for Developing the School Year Schedule of Localities

1. The school year schedule of localities must ensure 35 weeks of actual learning (18 weeks for the first semester, 17 weeks for the second semester).

2. The school year schedule must be suitable with the unique characteristics and actual conditions of the locality.

3. The holidays and Tet breaks are implemented according to the provisions of the Labor Code and annual guiding documents.

4. The annual leave for teachers is to be taken during the summer break or may be staggered at other times of the year to match specific characteristics and the school year schedule of the locality.

5. The school year schedule must ensure uniformity for all educational levels within a locality, especially in multi-level schools.

The 2024-2025 school year lasts for 35 weeks of actual studying (with 18 weeks in the first semester and 17 weeks in the second semester).