JP Nadda Reviews Preparedness as India Approaches Winter Influenza Season

The meeting took place at Kartavya Bhawan-1 and focused on national preparedness measures to manage seasonal flu trends.

With the winter season approaching and influenza activity expected to rise, a high-level review meeting was convened under the chairmanship of Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilizers Shri JP Nadda. The meeting took place at Kartavya Bhawan-1 and focused on national preparedness measures to manage seasonal flu trends.

Senior officials including Health Secretary Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Director General of Health Services Dr. Sunita Sharma, Joint Secretary (Public Health) Smt. Vandana Jain, NCDC Director Prof. (Dr.) Ranjan Das, and experts from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and Disaster Management Cell participated in the discussion.

During the briefing, officials highlighted that India sees two predictable peaks of influenza annually—one during August to October (Monsoon wave) and another during January to March (Winter wave). Based on current surveillance data, the Minister was informed that influenza activity remains stable and low across both national and global contexts.

Experts from NCDC and IDSP reported that the currently circulating variants—H3N2 and Influenza B (Victoria lineage)—continue to match historical patterns, with a minor presence of H1N1, showing no unusual mutations or epidemiological shifts.

They further outlined ongoing surveillance mechanisms, including:

• IDSP’s nationwide Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) reporting network

• AI-driven real-time event-based surveillance and media scanning

• ICMR’s sentinel hospital-based respiratory pathogen surveillance

All systems currently indicate no abnormal spikes or early onset of the seasonal wave.

Director NCDC Prof. Das shared plans for a two-day national ‘Chintan Shivir on Influenza’ later this month. The event will bring together central ministries, state health officials, scientific bodies, and public health experts to assess preparedness and update response frameworks, including vaccination strategies, laboratory capacity, and clinical management protocols.

Shri JP Nadda commended the proactive preparedness and directed close coordination with state health authorities. He instructed:

• Immediate review of influenza preparedness in all district hospitals and medical colleges within the next two weeks

• Mandatory readiness checks across central government hospitals

• Issuance of an advisory to all States and Union Territories

• Regular mock-drills and response simulations in health facilities

The Union Minister emphasized that early preparedness, timely surveillance, and rapid response protocols remain essential to prevent avoidable hospitalizations and ensure effective public health management during the upcoming influenza season.