Vietnam faces unprecedented dengue surge with over 50,000 cases in five months

Vietnam is experiencing an unprecedented rise in dengue fever cases. In the first five months of 2026, more than 50,000 infections were recorded, a 2.5‑fold increase compared with the same period in 2025. The outbreak has spread across all age groups, breaking the previous pattern where most cases occurred in children under 15.

Health officials attribute the surge to a shortened transmission cycle, unusually hot and humid weather, rapid urbanisation, and the dominance of the DENV‑2 serotype, which raises the risk of severe disease. Severe cases now require intensive care, with treatment costs reaching up to VND 500‑600 million per patient.

The Ministry of Health, together with the World Health Organization, is expanding mosquito‑control measures and preparing a pilot rollout of a dengue vaccine to evaluate its effectiveness before possible inclusion in the national immunisation programme. WHO aims to eliminate dengue‑related deaths in Vietnam by 2030.