Statistics on Children Below Seven Years Old and Between Seven and 12 Years Old Contracting HFMD in the Past Five Years

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health for each year in the past five years among children (i) below 7 years old and (ii) between 7 and 12 years old (inclusive), what is the absolute number and the percentage of children who contracted Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) (i) once (ii) twice or (iii) three or more times respectively.

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is a common childhood illness. Most children recover from HFMD on their own without treatment. As HFMD infections are not reportable and the majority are mild, the Ministry of Health (MOH) does not track the number or percentage of children who have contracted HFMD and the number of times they have contracted the disease during their life. As HFMD can be caused by different viruses, infection by one virus does not confer immunity to other viruses. As such, a person who has recovered from HFMD may be infected again.

The key to controlling the spread of HFMD is to maintain high standards of personal and environmental hygiene, and to seek medical treatment early when the child is unwell. MOH works closely with the Ministry of Education (MOE), Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and People's Association (PA) to ensure that educational institutions, including childcare centres, remain vigilant and take measures to minimise the spread of infectious diseases. Parents should also ensure that their children with HFMD remain at home for the duration of the illness as advised by the doctors, to prevent spread to others.