No unusual surge of influenza, well-prepared to handle spikes: Govt
In New Delhi on December 2, the government reported that there is no abnormal increase in influenza cases across the country, according to surveillance on respiratory illnesses.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda convened a senior briefing in the capital, where he was reassured that India is ready to manage flu outbreaks. Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava reminded everyone that the country normally sees two flu peaks each year—one during the monsoon months of August to October and a second in the winter from January to March.
The minister asked for the latest update and inquired whether the currently circulating virus strains had deviated from historical patterns. Officials from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) replied that flu activity is low both worldwide and domestically. They said that the usual seasonal strains, H3N2 and Influenza B (Victoria), are still predominant, with only a minor presence of H1N1.
Nadda was briefed on real‑time monitoring tools, including IDSP’s ILI and SARI networks, AI‑driven media scanning for event‑based surveillance, and ICMR’s sentinel sites for respiratory pathogens. He was told that none of these systems are flagging an unexpected spike in flu cases.
NCDC director Prof (Raj) Ranjan Das announced that the agency will hold a two‑day national “Chintan Shivir on Influenza” later in the month. The minister praised the ongoing readiness efforts and requested that all state nodal officers review flu preparedness and that central government hospitals ensure full readiness. He ordered that assessments of preparedness in district hospitals and medical colleges be finished within two weeks.
Additionally, the minister urged the issuance of an advisory to every state and union territory, and called for regular mock drills at health facilities.
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