KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — The decision to close schools or other education institutions due to influenza outbreaks is not based solely on the number of reported cases, but also on public health risk assessments carried out by district health offices.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said other factors are also considered, including the infection rate among students, attendance trends of students and teachers, signs of active community transmission, and the school’s ability to carry out control measures.
“All these elements are carefully evaluated before any decision is made.
“Control measures, including temporary targeted school closures, may be undertaken through consultations and cooperation between district health offices and schools, based on existing procedures and current risk evaluations,” he said during Ministers’ Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was replying to a supplementary question from Suhaizan Kaiat (Harapan-Pulai) on the criteria to determine school closures following an outbreak.
To Suhaizan’s original question on the severity of influenza cases nationwide and their impact on educational institutions, Dr Dzulkefly said schools and kindergartens have so far recorded the highest number of infections.
Based on cumulative data from the first epidemiological week (ME1) to ME41 (October 5 to 11), 352 cases were detected in schools (65.8 per cent), 96 in kindergartens (17.9 per cent), 35 in institutions or colleges (6.5 per cent), 33 in private residences (6.2 per cent), 10 in workplace clusters (1.9 per cent), six in care centres (1.1 per cent), and three in prisons (0.6 per cent).
Dr Dzulkefly said the number of infection clusters in education institutions rose sharply from eight in ME39 to 111 in ME40, to 202 in ME41. For ME42 (October 12 to 18), there are currently 56 cases, which are set to dwindle.
“Secondary schools recorded the highest number of clusters, increasing from one in ME39 to 47 in ME40, and further to 65 in ME41. Primary schools showed a similar pattern, with clusters rising from three in ME39 to 26 in ME40, and peaking at 72 in ME41.
“Other institutions such as vocational colleges, private schools and nurseries also reported an increase in clusters in the same period,” he said.
On the deaths of two children in Sarawak and Terengganu who were infected with influenza A, Dr Dzulkefly said the exact causes of death are still being investigated.
