Influenza Surges and Pandemic Preparedness Plan

NOTICE PAPER NO. 3513

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 6 MARCH 2025

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Yip Hon Weng

MP for Yio Chu Kang

Question No. 7340

To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether he can elaborate on how our pandemic preparedness plan has been updated to include large-scale influenza outbreaks; (b) specifically, what measures are in place to handle a sudden spike in infections; and (c) how does the Ministry ensure sufficient healthcare capacity during such surges.

Answer

1               Mr Speaker, Sir. Large-scale influenza outbreaks are not new and will hit us from time to time. The best way to protect ourselves is for the public, especially those who are medically vulnerable, to take preventive measures. These include having updated vaccinations, practising good personal hygiene, and when unwell, wearing face masks and limiting social contacts and to seek medical attention promptly when needed.

2               If there is a spike in influenza infections, we may have to release some of our stockpile of antivirals to reduce the risk of infection and severe outcomes, or to secure more supply of new vaccines.

3        Our public hospitals treat high patient volumes on a daily basis. In surges, they have to tap on alternative care models such as the Mobile Inpatient Care at Home for suitable patients, and the Transitional Care Facilities for medically stable patients.