Via Xinhua: China's schools prepare for new semester -- and A/H1N1. Excerpt:
Chinese schools and universities are ready to fight the A/H1N1 influenza virus during the new semester starting on September 1.
Beijing will provide free traditional Chinese medicine to prevent A/H1N1 infection for 3 million students in primary schools, middle schools and universities, said an official of the Beijing Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The medicine will be distributed in schools and students can take the granular infusion voluntarily, the official said.
Health monitoring would be launched in educational institutions and the condition of students' health was expected to be reported to the CDC daily, the official said.
Military training which takes up students' time for weeks or even months will be required to be rearranged, the official said.
A/H1N1 might begin spreading earlier than previous flu and its effects might be more pronounced with ordinary flu happening at the same time, he said.
The Beijing municipal government will begin to offer flu vaccinations in September and complete its program in late October.
Free vaccinations will be provided to 1.8 million residents who are 60 years or older as well as all primary and middle school students.
Temperature monitoring has already started in some Shanghai schools as students register for the new semester.
Students, parents and teachers queued in front of Shanghai Meilong Central Primary School on early Monday to have their temperatures taken.
"The situation is still very severe. We need to do more for flu prevention," said school master Wu Min.
