Sinovac EV71 vaccine: the silver bullet for hand, foot and mouth disease—or not?

With the imminent eradication of Polio worldwide (1), non-polio enteroviruses have gained traction as a major public health threat during the recent two decades (2-4), commonly manifesting as the hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). Associated with infections by a plethora of human enteroviruses (5-9), HFMD is a highly infectious and common childhood affliction in many countries. Endemic countries, particularly in the Asia-Pacific, experience outbreaks of HFMD every 2 to 3 years or even yearly (9-12). These periodic outbreaks have put a strain on the public healthcare infrastructure with increased patient visitation and inconvenience from childcare facility closures, in a bid to contain localized outbreaks.