CHILDREN’S hospitals across the city are receiving double the usual cases of hand, foot and mouth disease during its annual peak season although experts said yesterday the outbreak isn’t as serious as last year.

HFMD reaches its peak in April, May and June and children under 5 years old are most at risk, doctors said.

“We received 190 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in March and the number rose to 480 last month,” said Zhang Ying from Shanghai Children’s Medical Center. “There’s already been more than 500 this month.”