Malaysia Closes Some Schools as Flu Hits About 6,000 Students Ahead of SPM

Flu Outbreak Disrupts Schools Before November Exams

About 6,000 schoolchildren across Malaysia have been infected with influenza, prompting temporary closures at some schools just weeks before roughly 400,000 candidates begin the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) school leaving examination on November 3, 2025.

As of October 15, the outbreak involves influenza A and B, with most identified clusters linked to schools and kindergartens. The Ministry of Health recorded 97 influenza clusters during epidemiological week 40, up from 14 the previous week. Epidemiological weeks are the weekly reporting periods used to track disease activity.

Education Ministry Director General Mohd Azam Ahmad said some schools had been instructed to close temporarily on the advice of district health officers. The closures are focused on campuses with sustained transmission and are intended to protect students and staff while allowing other schools to continue operating.

Authorities have not disclosed how many schools have closed. Officials say most reported infections are mild and the situation remains under control, although the timing creates an immediate concern for students completing their final examination preparation.

Students who test positive or develop typical flu symptoms are being advised to stay home for about five to seven days to reduce the chance of passing the infection to classmates. Schools have also been reminded to encourage masks in crowded indoor spaces and reduce large group activities.

The increase from 14 to 97 clusters amounts to 83 additional clusters in a week, or nearly seven times the previous weekly total. A cluster is a group of linked infections in a shared setting, rather than a count of individual patients. The cluster figures and the estimate of 6,000 infected students describe different parts of the outbreak.

Selangor Has the Most Clusters

Selangor recorded 43 clusters, the highest number among the areas listed. Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya together recorded 15, followed by Penang with 10, Johor with nine and Kedah with five. Infections have been reported across several states, with transmission occurring between people in classrooms and dormitories.

The distribution shows that schools in several parts of Malaysia are managing outbreaks at the same time. Health officials describe the spread as widespread rather than concentrated in a single city.

In Penang, state health committee chairman Daniel Gooi said the state ranks among those hardest hit by influenza like illness this year. He reported 18 influenza clusters from the start of 2025, compared with 19 during the same period in 2024.

Gooi also said respiratory clusters were down about 52.4 percent compared with the previous year. Last year's influenza positivity rate in Penang ranged from 35.6 percent to 51.1 percent. A positivity rate describes the share of tests that return a positive result, while a cluster count measures groups of linked infections.

Penang's figures therefore describe several measures of respiratory illness: influenza clusters accumulated during the year, the broader number of respiratory clusters and the proportion of influenza tests returning positive results. Gooi warned that cases tend to rise toward the end of the year and urged continued handwashing, good cough etiquette and masks in crowded indoor places.

How Health Teams Track School Outbreaks

Health teams identify clusters through Malaysia's surveillance systems for influenza like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). These systems help officials follow respiratory illness and identify settings where infections are spreading.

Doctors at participating surveillance locations, known as sentinel sites, submit test samples and weekly tallies. Investigators then work with schools to identify contacts, isolate students with symptoms and reinforce everyday precautions.

A cluster may involve students who share a class, sports team, hostel or school. Identifying those connections helps health officers decide where action is needed, including whether a campus should temporarily close or strengthen measures while lessons continue.

Schools Reduce Gatherings and Tighten Precautions

Schools have been asked to return to routine precautions familiar from the pandemic period. These include encouraging masks indoors during outbreaks, limiting assemblies and large events, spacing out activities where possible and keeping students with fever or respiratory symptoms at home.

Mohd Azam Ahmad, the Education Ministry director general, described the ministry's instructions to school leaders:

We have reminded schools to follow these guidelines, encouraging the use of face masks and reducing large group activities among students.

Temporary closures are generally expected to last several days to a week and are decided with input from District Health Offices. Education officials say the measures are limited in duration and aimed at schools experiencing sustained transmission.

Administrators have refreshed cleaning schedules and reminded families to keep sick children at home. Schools are also preparing to move short periods of teaching online where necessary, so students can continue learning while contact on campus is reduced.

Kelantan Schools Split Online and Classroom Lessons

Two schools in Kelantan, SM Sains Pasir Puteh and SM Sains Machang, have adopted arrangements that combine online teaching with lessons in person. Students in Forms 1 to 4 moved online, while Form 5 students and teachers continued classroom lessons under strict procedures.

SM Sains Machang reported 51 students with flu symptoms, with its first case recorded on October 5. SM Sains Pasir Puteh recorded its first case on October 7 and subsequently counted 58 students with symptoms.

The arrangements are intended to protect vulnerable students while preserving preparation time for those taking SPM. They also show how schools can reduce the number of students on campus without moving every class online.

The key dates place the school outbreaks close to the examination period:

• October 5: SM Sains Machang recorded its first case.
• October 7: SM Sains Pasir Puteh recorded its first case.
• October 15: Malaysia was managing an influenza wave affecting about 6,000 schoolchildren, with some schools temporarily closed.
• November 3: The first SPM papers are scheduled to begin.

SPM Preparation Continues With the Examination Board on Standby

Malaysia's Examination Board has been asked to remain on standby as the SPM period approaches. About 400,000 candidates are due to sit the examination, making the outbreak's timing difficult for students in their final weeks of revision.

The Education Ministry wants to preserve teaching time for examination candidates while lowering the risk of infection on school grounds. School leaders have been encouraged to use flexible teaching plans, and the board has been asked to be ready to adjust operations if required.

Targeted closures allow schools with active clusters to interrupt transmission while the wider student population maintains normal routines. At the two Kelantan schools, continuing lessons in person for Form 5 students is part of that effort to keep examination preparation on track.

Parents can support students by maintaining a healthy study routine at home and ensuring they get adequate rest. When illness disrupts preparation, families can speak with class teachers or school counsellors about missed work and the pressure students may be feeling.

Students who become unwell near a test date should focus on recovery, communicate with their school about attendance rules and examination arrangements, and follow medical advice before returning. Families can also ask teachers or principals how to catch up on missed lessons.

Why Influenza Spreads Easily in Classrooms

Influenza viruses cause respiratory infections and spread through droplets, aerosols and contaminated surfaces. Droplets and aerosols are particles released into the air, while contaminated surfaces can transfer virus particles through repeated hand contact.

Influenza A circulates widely across species and generally causes larger outbreaks in people. Influenza B mainly circulates among humans and changes more slowly. Both can cause fever, chills, a sore throat, muscle aches, coughing and fatigue.

Malaysia's tropical climate allows influenza to circulate throughout the year, with stronger waves in some months. Toward the end of the year, time indoors, busy school terms, travel and holiday events can create more opportunities for infection to spread.

Children and teenagers tend to have higher infection rates because they have frequent close contact in classrooms and hostels. Shared desks, cafeteria trays, doorknobs and devices can also allow virus particles to move between people through their hands.

Better ventilation, timely cleaning and consistent cough etiquette help limit transmission. Short closures at schools with many linked cases can interrupt the chain of infection by reducing contact between students for a limited period.

What Families Can Do During an Outbreak

Parents are being urged to keep children with fever or flu symptoms at home and follow local advice to isolate for about five to seven days. Students should return when they feel well enough to participate and in line with medical advice.

Masks are recommended in crowded indoor places, especially where a school or community has an active outbreak. Frequent handwashing and covering coughs and sneezes remain part of the precautions officials are asking families and schools to maintain.

Practical steps for households and students include:

• Wash hands regularly with soap and water, or use hand sanitiser when soap is unavailable.
• Cover coughs and sneezes, and dispose of used tissues promptly.
• Wear a mask in crowded indoor spaces during active outbreaks.
• Improve airflow at home and in classrooms by opening windows where safe and practical.
• Keep children with fever or respiratory symptoms away from school.
• Speak with teachers about missed work and any examination arrangements affected by illness.

Schools and families share responsibility for reducing exposure. Keeping a sick child home limits contact with classmates, while cleaning shared surfaces and improving airflow help reduce opportunities for transmission when students are on campus.

Annual Vaccination and Students at Greater Risk

Associate Professor Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh advises that children need special attention because many clusters are occurring in schools. She recommends annual influenza vaccination for everyone aged six months and older, with vaccine formulas updated each year.

The influenza vaccine reduces the chance of infection and lowers the risk of severe illness. It takes about two weeks to reach its full effect, a timing consideration for families seeking protection while the school outbreak is active.

Children, older adults, pregnant people and people with chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease benefit most from vaccination. Families with questions about medical history, timing or which vaccine product to use should consult a healthcare professional.

Vaccination sits alongside the daily precautions recommended during the outbreak. Masks, handwashing, ventilation and staying home when ill remain part of the response in schools and households.

Ministries Coordinate as Sarawak Death Is Reviewed

Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said his ministry would work with the Education Ministry to decide on further measures if the outbreak continues in schools. He has reassured families that the situation is under control and said most reported cases are mild.

Officials continue to urge parents to keep sick children at home and follow standard precautions, including masks and frequent handwashing during active clusters. Case finding and monitoring are continuing nationwide through the ILI and SARI surveillance networks.

The Health Ministry is also looking into the reported death of a boy aged four in Sarawak who tested positive for influenza A. The review is ongoing. Severe outcomes are uncommon, but the case highlights the need for early care for children at greater risk.

For schools, the immediate response remains focused on identifying linked infections, reducing close contact where outbreaks occur and maintaining lessons where possible. For examination candidates, the next scheduled milestone is the start of SPM on November 3, with the Examination Board on standby should operational adjustments be needed.

What to Know

• About 6,000 schoolchildren across Malaysia have been infected with influenza A or B.
• The Health Ministry recorded 97 influenza clusters in epidemiological week 40, up from 14 the previous week.
• Most clusters involve schools and kindergartens. Selangor recorded the most, with 43.
• Some schools have closed temporarily on district health advice. Authorities have not disclosed the number closed.
• Two Kelantan schools moved Forms 1 to 4 online while continuing lessons in person for Form 5.
• Students with flu are advised to stay home for about five to seven days, with masks, handwashing and fewer large gatherings recommended during outbreaks.
• About 400,000 candidates are due to take SPM, with the first papers scheduled for November 3.
• Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for people aged six months and older and takes about two weeks to reach full effect.
• The Health Ministry is reviewing the reported death of a boy aged four in Sarawak who tested positive for influenza A.