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Keeping sick children at home and ensuring timely vaccination are among the most effective ways to curb influenza spread, particularly in schools and nurseries where close contact can accelerate transmission, a paediatric specialist said.Prof Dr Mohamed A Hendaus, head of Paediatrics at The View Hospital and Qatar University in Doha, told Gulf Times that influenza can cause significant illness in children, ranging from fever, cough, sore throat and body aches to serious complications such as pneumonia and dehydration.“Influenza is more than a common cold,” Hendaus said, urging parents, schools and the wider community to take the virus seriously.Influenza A, including the H1N1 subtype, can spread rapidly in schools, nurseries, playgrounds and family gatherings. Infected children may also transmit the virus to siblings, parents, grandparents and other relatives, particularly those at increased risk of complications.Hendaus said keeping children with a fever at home is one of the simplest ways to limit transmission, despite parents' concerns about missed school days, examinations, and work commitments.Sending a child to school with a fever, particularly when accompanied by a cough, fatigue or body aches, puts classmates, teachers and school staff at risk.“Administering paracetamol to reduce fever before school does not make a child non-contagious,” he said, explaining that fever-reducing medication may ease discomfort but does not eliminate the virus or prevent its spread.Parents should keep children home when they have a fever or are too unwell to participate in normal school activities, he said, calling it a responsible way to protect the community.Hendaus recommended annual influenza vaccination for everyone aged six months and older, unless medically contraindicated, noting that it reduces the risk of infection and severe illness.“Although no vaccine offers complete protection, vaccination remains one of our most effective defences against serious influenza disease,” he said.Parents should arrange vaccination for eligible children as early as possible in the influenza season, particularly those with chronic medical conditions.Children younger than five, especially those under two, and those with asthma, heart disease, diabetes or weakened immunity may face a higher risk of complications. Families should consult their paediatrician about vaccination and additional preventive measures.He also stressed the importance of everyday precautions, including regular handwashing with soap and water, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow, avoiding touching the eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, cleaning frequently touched surfaces and ensuring adequate ventilation at home and in classrooms.Children who develop flu-like symptoms should rest at home, drink plenty of fluids and be monitored for worsening symptoms. Antibiotics do not treat influenza because a virus causes it, and healthcare professionals should guide medication decisions.Hendaus urged parents to watch for dehydration, as fever increases fluid needs while illness may reduce how much children drink. Vomiting and diarrhoea can further increase the risk.Warning signs include reduced urination, dry mouth, no tears when crying, and unusual lethargy. Urgent medical attention is necessary if a child experiences difficulty breathing, bluish or grey lips, severe or persistent chest pain, seizures, confusion, reduced responsiveness or significant dehydration.Parents should also seek medical advice if a fever or cough improves but subsequently returns or worsens, according to Hendaus.He noted that children with severe or progressive illness, those requiring hospitalisation and those at increased risk of complications may need antiviral treatment, which should begin as soon as possible when indicated.Hendaus said schools can help prevent outbreaks through clear illness policies, good ventilation, hand hygiene and timely communication with parents. Healthcare professionals can reinforce vaccination and identify complications early, while employers can offer flexible arrangements to parents caring for sick children.Combining vaccination, hygiene, early recognition of warning signs and keeping sick children at home can reduce transmission and help protect classrooms and families, he said. 

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has announced the launch of the National Seasonal Influenza Vaccination and Awareness Campaign, running through March 2027, in collaboration with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Primary Healthcare Corporation (PHCC), and public, semi-government, and private healthcare facilities.The flu vaccine is available free of charge at PHCC centres, HMC health facilities, and more than 50 other private healthcare facilities nationwide. Eligible individuals can go directly to any PHCC centre for vaccination without a prior appointment. Fast-track protocols have been introduced to streamline the process, ensure efficient access, and minimise patient waiting times.The campaign aims to safeguard public health and minimise influenza-related health complications ahead of the winter season, which typically sees a sharp rise in infection rates.This year's campaign specifically targets the most vulnerable populations, including individuals aged 50 and older, children aged 6 months to 5 years, pregnant women, healthcare workers, and individuals with chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, and others.Dr Hamad Eid al-Romaihi, director of the Health Protection and Communicable Diseases Control Department at MoPH, stated: "The launch of the annual influenza vaccination campaign underscores Qatar's unwavering commitment to public health and to achieving the objectives of the National Health Strategy by promoting proactive prevention of diseases through national vaccination campaigns."Dr al-Romaihi added: "The flu vaccine is a safe and effective way to protect against seasonal influenza. Because influenza viruses evolve continuously, the World Health Organisation develops an annual vaccine that targets the most prevalent strains of the upcoming season. It is vital to receive this new vaccine every year before winter begins, ideally in October or November. It takes approximately two weeks for the body to develop full immunity after vaccination. Influenza can lead to serious health complications, including pneumonia and critical aggravation of existing chronic conditions."The MoPH urges citizens and residents, especially those at higher risk of infection, to get the seasonal flu vaccine as soon as possible. It also organises an internal vaccination campaign for employees as part of its efforts to provide a healthy and safe work environment.More information is available from Qatar's Unified Call Centre for health at 16000. 

Qatar will offer the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in schools for the first time from September 20, strengthening efforts to prevent cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers.The vaccine will be introduced through the National School Vaccination Campaign, which will cover more than 75,000 boys and girls across 301 government and private schools. Vaccination is voluntary and requires prior written consent from a parent or guardian.“This is the first time students will receive the HPV vaccine at school. The inclusion of this vaccine in the school vaccine campaign aligns with the Ministry of Public Health's policy to combat cancer, specifically its strategy to eliminate cervical cancer,” said Dr Hamad Eid al-Rumaihi, director of the Health Protection and Communicable Diseases Control Department at the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).He was speaking at a press conference Sunday at the ministry’s headquarters alongside Issa Ali al-Ansari, health and safety consultant in the Department of Health and Safety at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education; and Dr Layla Abdulla al-Dahnaim, manager of the School Health Programme and Services and community medicine consultant at Primary Health Care Corporation.The initiative aims to provide early protection against HPV infection and reduce the future burden of associated diseases, including cancer.The school campaign will run in two phases, combining HPV vaccination for students in Grades 8 and 9 with booster doses against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis for designated groups in Grades 9 and 10.The first phase, from September 20 to November 18, will offer the first HPV vaccine dose to Grade 9 students in government and private schools. Grade 10 students in government schools will be offered the tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis booster.The second phase, from April 25 to May 16, 2027, will offer the first HPV vaccine dose to Grade 8 students and the second dose to Grade 9 students in government and private schools. Grade 9 students in both sectors will also be offered the tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis booster.Dr al-Rumaihi said the inclusion of the HPV vaccine represented an important preventive measure to protect students’ health and strengthen protection across the community.The campaign is being organised in coordination with the relevant health and education authorities to ensure vaccination is delivered in accordance with established health and organisational standards.He said HPV vaccines had been used worldwide since 2006 and were safe and effective. The vaccine selected for the campaign protects against nine types of HPV, including high-risk types associated with cervical cancer and several other cancers.Vaccination in early adolescence provides a strong immune response and helps protect recipients before exposure to the virus.Parents and guardians will receive a designated consent form accompanied by an information leaflet. Students will be vaccinated only after a parent or guardian has signed the form.The ministry said HPV vaccines were used in 164 countries worldwide, including all GCC countries.

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) that has caused at least 80 deaths has a “very high lethality rate” and no vaccine or specific treatment, the country’s health minister warned yesterday. Nearly 250 suspected cases of the the highly contagious haemorrhagic fever have been recorded in DR Congo, according to the health ministry, with one death reported in neighbouring Uganda.Medical aid group Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, MSF) said it was preparing a “large-scale response”, calling the rapid spread of the outbreak “extremely concerning”.“The Bundibugyo strain has no vaccine, no specific treatment,” DR Congo’s Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said yesterday. “This strain has a very high lethality rate which can reach 50%.” Earlier yesterday ministry officials announced that the death toll had reached 80, up from 65 the previous day.The strain has also claimed one life in neighbouring Uganda, officials said, that of a Congolese national. That correlated with an announcement late on Friday by Uganda’s health ministry, which said a 59-year-old man from the DR Congo had died in Kampala after being admitted earlier in the week.His body was repatriated the same day. Tests showed the victim in Uganda was infected with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, first identified in 2007.Vaccines are only available for the Zaire strain, which was identified in 1976 and has a higher fatality rate of 60-90%. Health officials had confirmed the latest outbreak on Friday in Ituri province in northeastern DR Congo, bordering Uganda and South Sudan, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Africa).Adding to concerns of spread are significant cross-border population movements in the region affected. According to Kamba, patient zero was a nurse who reported to a health facility in provincial capital Bunia on April 24, with symptoms suggesting Ebola.Symptoms of the disease include fever, haemorrhaging and vomiting. MSF said it is mobilising medical, logistical and support staff to help with the outbreak response.“The number of cases and deaths we are seeing in such a short timeframe, combined with the spread across several health zones and now across the border, is extremely concerning,” says MSF emergency programme manager Trish Newport. It is the 17th Ebola outbreak to hit the DR Congo, and officials warned of a high risk of spread.The country’s health ministry said that overnight the number of fatalities had risen to “246 suspected cases notified and 80 deaths”.“It is a large outbreak,” said Jay Bhattacharya, acting director of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday. The previous outbreak of Ebola, which has killed some 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years, despite advances in vaccines and treatment, was last August in the central region.That episode killed at least 34 people, before being declared eradicated in December.Nearly 2,300 people died in the deadliest outbreak in the DR Congo between 2018 and 2020. Ebola, believed to have originated in bats, is a viral disease spread through direct contact with bodily fluids. It can cause severe bleeding and organ failure.According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), outbreaks over the past half century have seen a mortality rate among those affected of between 25-90%. The virus spreads from person to person through bodily fluids or exposure to the blood of infected persons, who become contagious only once they display symptoms.The incubation period can last up to 21 days.“Given the uncertainties and severity of the illness, there is concern about the scale of transmission in affected communities,” the WHO said on Friday as it prepared to airlift five tonnes of material including infection prevention gear from Kinshasa.Large-scale transport of medical equipment is a challenge in DR Congo, a country of more than 100mn people which is four times the size of France but has poor communications infrastructure. – AFP 

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) announced the implementation of the national seasonal influenza vaccination campaign, which was launched in the second half of September in co-operation with Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Corporation, and both governmental, semi-governmental, and private health facilities.In a statement, MoPH stressed: “This forms part of the annual strategy to raise awareness, strengthen prevention, and limit the spread of influenza during the winter season”. “Influenza vaccines are available free of charge this year at more than 103 health facilities, including 31 health centres affiliated with the Primary Health Care Corporation, 57 private sector health facilities covering all major hospitals, and 15 semi-governmental facilities, among them Qatar Energy and the Qatar Red Crescent,” it added.The statement said: “MoPH provides influenza vaccinations in ministries, government institutions, and private companies as part of a comprehensive plan aimed at facilitating access to vaccination services for all members of society, thereby enhancing coverage rates and safeguarding public health”.MoPH urged all members of the community, especially those groups most at risk of complications, “to come forward and obtain the seasonal influenza vaccine at the earliest opportunity. It affirms that prevention begins with vaccination and that health awareness is the first line of defence”.“Groups prioritised for influenza vaccination include individuals with chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, heart and lung diseases, kidney impairment, and weakened immunity, as well as senior citizens (over 60 years old), children aged between 6 months and 5 years, pregnant women, and healthcare workers,” the statement clarified.For enquiries about the national seasonal influenza vaccination campaign, the ministry explained, people may contact the Qatar Health Sector Unified Call Centre at 16000.

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), in partnership with the National Planning Council, is conducting the National Immunization Coverage Survey in the State of Qatar. The fieldwork for this survey will take place from Sept. 24 to Dec. 24, 2025. This National Immunization Coverage Survey is the first of its kind in the country. It aims to scientifically and systematically measure vaccination coverage rates and their related determinants. The survey is designed to strengthen health security and ensure the continued provision of the highest levels of protection against vaccine-preventable diseases. The survey targeted a random sample of more than 11,000 households, representing all residents of Qatar, both citizens and expatriates, who have children aged between one year and under seven years. Data will be collected from the children's guardians through home visits and by reviewing their vaccination cards. The Ministry of Public Health held a press conference today, to announce the survey, during which the Director of the Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control Department at the Ministry, Dr. Hamad Eid Al Rumaihi, Director of Statistical Operations at the National Planning Council Saud Matar Al Shammari, spoke. Dr. Hamad Eid Al Rumaihi said, "This national survey reaffirms the Ministry of Public Health's commitment to protecting individuals and society in Qatar from health risks related to vaccine-preventable communicable diseases." He added: "The survey results will provide a comprehensive national database that will help develop the national immunization program, improve vaccination outreach to all targeted groups in Qatar, and continue making progress in addressing challenges." For his part, Saud Matar Al Shammari confirmed that all preparations have been completed for the commencement of the fieldwork, noting that participating researchers have received intensive training to ensure the quality of data collection and to guarantee genuine representation of the various segments of Qatari society. He stressed that all data collected will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. He added: "Immunizing children directly contributes to achieving the third Sustainable Development Goal (Good Health and Well-being) by reducing deaths and diseases that vaccines can prevent. It is an effective and cost-efficient health intervention to strengthen health systems and achieve universal health coverage." The survey will be implemented in collaboration with the World Health Organization and in accordance with international standards adopted in this field, ensuring the data quality and the reliability of the results. This collaboration also extends the strategic partnership between the MoPH and the National Planning Council, which has previously resulted in the implementation of several national health surveys, such as the National Survey for Measuring Risk Factors of Non-Communicable Diseases, the National Ageing Survey, and other surveys that have provided essential data to support and develop health policies and services in Qatar. It is worth mentioning that the National Immunization Program at the MoPH, established in 1979, continues to develop its services regularly. Vaccinations are free of charge at 31 health centers affiliated with the Primary Health Care Corporation and 71 private health institutions. The national immunization schedule includes 15 vaccines that protect against 17 diseases, from birth up to 18 years of age. The Ministry of Public Health invites all families participating in the survey to fully cooperate with the field teams and researchers. Participation in this survey is an essential national contribution towards building a healthy and safe future for our children. The public may contact the unified health sector call center at (16000) for any inquiries regarding the survey and its field team.