Addressing the conference, deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said that the epidemic is likely to recur and spread on a large scale when the new school year begins in the near future.

The deputy PM asked HCM City to share its experiences in stamping out outbreaks to avoid the virus spreading throughout the community. Schools nationwide have been asked to provide their teachers with flu prevention courses, clean up the environment before the new school year begins and disseminate information on the disease amongst their pupils.

Before the first day of the new school year, all schools are urged to set up steering committees on A/H1N1 Prevention and Control, ensure sufficient medicines for treatment and liaise with local medical stations to timely isolate any infected cases. Schools are advised to close if they detect any cases.

In another development, an online programme will be held on the VOVNews online newspaper at 8:30am on July 25 to discuss measures to cope with the A/H1N1 virus. Dr Nguyen Huy Nga, director of the Department of Preventive Health under the Ministry of Health will take part in the programme.

Meanwhile, Vietnam confirmed 24 more cases of A/H1N1 influenza on July 23, bringing the country’s total to 499, local officials said. 
Of the newly-infected cases, 21 patients are in the south and the two others are in the central region, reported the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environment under the Health Ministry. 

So far, 346 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. The rest are being quarantined and treated but are all in stable condition, said the department. 
The country has reported no deaths in connection with the disease since the first case was detected. 
As of July 23, there were 146,738 confirmed cases of the flu globally, of which 850 have been fatal, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).