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Vanguard Health Care Fund Investment Risks - Retail Prospectus [Member] - Vanguard Health Care Fund
Jan. 31, 2026
Sector Risk [Member]  
Prospectus [Line Items]  
Risk [Text Block] • Health Care Sector. Due to the Fund’s heavy investment in companies within the health care sector, its performance will be impacted by the general health of the sector. Companies in the health care sector can be negatively affected by various factors, including rising costs of medical products and services, the rapid speed at which many health care products and services become obsolete, the possibility that regulatory approvals (which often entail lengthy application and testing procedures) will not be granted for new drugs and medical products, labor shortages, and/or litigation and product liability claims. These companies also rely on significant investments in research and development, leading to patented intellectual property. Expiring patents can impact a company’s future profitability. Government regulation and restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses can also impact the sector.
General Market Risk [Member]  
Prospectus [Line Items]  
Risk [Text Block] • General Market Risk. The markets in which the Fund invests can be affected by a variety of factors. These factors, which can be real or perceived, may include economic, market, political, and regulatory conditions and developments as well as local, regional, or global events such as wars, military conflicts, natural disasters, and public health issues. In addition, investor sentiment and expectations regarding these factors can also impact the markets. Different parts of the market, including different industries and sectors as well as different types of securities, may react differently to factors that affect the market. These factors can contribute to market uncertainty, market volatility, and fluctuations in the value of the Fund’s investments, thereby resulting in potential losses to the Fund over short or long periods.
Investing in Foreign Markets Risk [Member]  
Prospectus [Line Items]  
Risk [Text Block] • Investing in Foreign Markets. Foreign markets can perform differently than U.S. markets. World events could adversely affect the value and/or liquidity of securities of foreign companies or foreign issuers, potentially in ways that differ from impacts to U.S. companies or issuers. Further, global economies and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibility that conditions in one country or region could adversely impact a different country or region. In addition, the rights and remedies associated with investments in a fund that invests in foreign securities may be different than a fund that invests in domestic securities. To the extent that the Fund invests a large portion of its assets in securities of issuers located primarily in one country or region, the Fund’s performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of its investments in such country or region.
Currency Risk [Member]  
Prospectus [Line Items]  
Risk [Text Block] • Currency Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk that foreign currency will perform differently than U.S. dollars and increase the potential loss to the Fund. Currency exchange rates may be volatile, move rapidly, and change as a result of changes in interest rates, inflation rates, government surpluses or deficits, and monetary policy or currency controls imposed by local governments or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund. Changes in currency exchange rates can affect the value of the Fund’s holdings.
Investing in Equity Markets Risk [Member]  
Prospectus [Line Items]  
Risk [Text Block] • Investing in Equity Markets. The Fund invests in the equity markets. Equity markets have historically been cyclical, having periods of time when stock values rise and fall. Market volatility can lead to significant fluctuations in stock values, resulting in potential losses to the Fund.
Market Capitalization Risk [Member]  
Prospectus [Line Items]  
Risk [Text Block] • Market Capitalization (Market Cap). Companies are generally classified into three types of market cap depending on their size: small-, mid-, and large-cap. Companies can be further classified into micro- or mega-cap. Different factors can affect each market cap uniquely, and historically small- and mid-cap stocks have typically been more volatile due to the effects of changing economic conditions. Large companies may not reach the same levels of growth or performance as smaller companies, and they may be slower to react to competitive challenges. The performance of funds that invest in a subset of market caps could diverge from the performance of a fund that is focused on a broader representation of the stock market.
Active Management Risk [Member]  
Prospectus [Line Items]  
Risk [Text Block] • Active Management. The Fund is actively managed. The advisor’s security selection and/or strategy execution could cause the Fund to underperform relevant securities markets or other funds with a similar investment objective.
Nondiversified Funds [Member]  
Prospectus [Line Items]  
Risk [Text Block] • Nondiversified Funds. The Fund is considered a nondiversified fund as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Nondiversified funds invest a greater percentage of their assets in a small number of issuers than diversified funds, their performance may be negatively impacted by relatively few securities or even a single security, and their shares may experience significant fluctuations in value.
Risk Lose Money [Member]  
Prospectus [Line Items]  
Risk [Text Block] As with any investment, an investment in the Fund could lose money over any time period.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Member]  
Prospectus [Line Items]  
Risk [Text Block] An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.