SCHOOL headmasters and principals now have another issue to exercise their discretion over: whether to close their schools temporarily over the incidence of A (H1N1), preferably after consultation with their respective district health officers.

One other issue that has become frustratingly elusive is how a school decides to opt for temporary closure.

Concerned parents and school staff need to know this if they are to be properly equipped to protect their school-going children and themselves better.

Now that the need to make this decision-making procedure more transparent has officially been acknowledged, no time should be wasted in getting the details of the standard operating procedure out.

When the crunch comes, we hope our government will not have to do what the Mexican authorities did in combating the spread of this virus.

President Calderon basically shut down the economy and it was a complete standstill in Mexico City with schools and offices closed. Everyone had to follow strict protocol, even in their homes.

As it stands, our health authorities have done their best in keeping us informed about what to do either as groups or individually to protect ourselves.

But more and better public information is still needed in helping Malaysians to prevent the spread of this deadly virus.

For example, more specific information on aspects such as what exactly constitute 'high-risk factors' or 'low immunity' among individuals which make them particularly vulnerable to deadly A (H1N1) attacks should be provided.

Another area our public officials should waste no further time on is preparing a tested vaccine ready for use.

Malaysia and Thailand are reportedly to work jointly on this as part of a bilateral programme later in the year, but the rapid spread of the A (H1N1) flu demands more urgent attention and action.

Since this is clearly a matter of life and death that is more serious than officials seem to have imagined earlier, much swifter official action is needed.

More people are likely to be specially vulnerable than the general population would expect.

And much more needs to be done before our society can be said to be educated adequately on the risks.