Health Ministry Monitoring China Situation

The Minister of Health, Terrence Deyalsingh, and the Ministry of Health team are actively monitoring the spread of the Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China. The Ministry on Wednesday said it consulted with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and confirmed surveillance data from the China CDC for the week of December 23rd to 29th, which shows a rise in acute respiratory infections including seasonal influenza, hMPV, rhinovirus, and adenovirus. On January 2nd, the Ministry contacted the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and also confirmed there is no State of Emergency declared by the country. However, the Ministry of Health is reminding the population that the influenza vaccine is free of charge at all Health Centres across the country. With the Carnival season upon us, pregnant women, the elderly, immunocompromised persons, and those with chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are encouraged to get the influenza vaccine.