Kuala lumpur: All Health Ministry (MOH) facilities and personnel are fully prepared to handle any unexpected spike in influenza cases, said Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. He stated that the Emergency and Trauma Departments at MOH hospitals have established separate pathways for infectious and non-infectious patients to prevent cross-infection and hospital-acquired infections.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the ministry has activated its Hospital Disaster Plan, which involves creating disaster zones, increasing bed capacity, and mobilizing staff internally in the event of a surge in cases. Dr Dzulkefly emphasized that these measures are proactive and pre-emptive to ensure readiness for any sudden increase in cases, although they hope such a situation will not occur. These remarks were made during a press briefing at the Parliament.

During the Minister's Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat, Dzulkefly highlighted that no universal or specific influenza vaccine exists due to the frequent mutation of the virus. The World Health Organisation and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conduct annual surveillance to identify the dominant strain for the year, with new quadrivalent vaccines developed to cover multiple virus types.

Dzulkefly explained that laboratory tests are not routinely conducted for all Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) cases, as most are mild and can be diagnosed clinically. He noted that clinical diagnosis is sufficient based on symptoms, and lab tests would not alter the treatment administered. For high-risk groups, such as the elderly, children, pregnant women, and those with severe symptoms, appropriate treatment and antiviral prophylaxis will be provided. These points were made in response to a query from Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PN-Kuala Langat) regarding the availability of antivirals and vaccination efforts against influenza.