CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has reported 1,044 H1N1 influenza cases this year as on Sunday, said Health Minister Ma Subramanian. Speaking to reporters, the minister said 364 people are currently under treatment for the flu in the State. While all school teachers have been told to inform parents if any student shows symptoms of flu, parents should not send children with fever, cold, headache and fatigue to schools, the minister said. Subramanian, however, reiterated that there was no emergency in the State to declare leave for schools as in Puducherry.
The minister further urged people to not drop their guard and continue wearing masks and maintain physical distance as the State continues to wage the battle against Covid-19 along with cases of flu, dengue, and H1N1 influenza.
He noted that there has been an increase in Covid-19 cases in the State, particularly in Chennai and Coimbatore, over the last two days and pointed out that people had stopped taking the booster dose when the number of cases started coming down.
While the first dose vaccine coverage in the 18 and above age group is 96.50% and the second dose coverage is 91.10 % , the booster dose coverage is only 18.79%, the minister said. As the second dose coverage in the 12-14 age group and the 15-17 age group is 73.84% and 77.58% respectively, special vaccination camps will be conducted in all government schools on every Thursday starting October, Subramanian added. Vaccination drives will also be held on Wednesdays in all government hospitals starting next month. The State may conduct its last Covid-19 mega vaccination camp on 25 September, the minister added.
‘Review the situation, constitute an expert panel’
Pudukkottai: Former health minister C Vijay Baskar, while speaking to reporters in Pudukkottai on Sunday, spoke of sources informing him about a "rise in H1N1 fever cases across the State." "The Health Department should review the situation and an expert panel should be constituted," he said. "To avoid panic among the general public, awareness should be created. Also, 24x7 wards should be set up in all the government hospitals in view of a possible outbreak. According to the information I received, H1N1 fever is spreading at an alarming rate," the former minister added. He also spoke of health workers alleging about a lack of medical facilities and medicines across the State. ENS
Close schools till elementary level: OPS to Stalin
Chennai: AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam on Sunday appealed to the State government to take steps to control H1N1 influenza among children in the State. He urged Chief Minister MK Stalin to shut down the schools at least till the elementary level and postpone the quarterly examinations until the disease comes under control. Raising concerns over the large number of hospitalisations due to the influenza, he urged the government to create awareness among the public and provide medicines to the infected. ENS