More than 200 Chinese students in different areas were confirmed as having contracted A/H1N1 influenza as of Friday as the autumn term began. All the patients were in stable condition, health authorities said.

A total of 40 cases were reported at three schools in Zhengzhou, capital of the central Henan Province, a spokesman with the provincial health department said.

The Henan Provincial Experimental High School, where 18 were infected, has suspended classes for all students. Students in some classes in the two other schools were also dismissed.

The number of cases at the Southwest Civil Aviation College in Sichuan Province rose to 43 Friday. All of them were being treated at the Chengdu Infectious Disease Hospital.

A total of 23 A/H1N1 cases were reported at the Xi'an University of Arts and Science Thursday and Friday.

A high school in Lixin County, in eastern China's Anhui Province, reported 17 cases of the flu Thursday night, the provincial health department said in a statement Friday.

A department spokesman said the patients were being treated at the county hospital. "They were all in stable condition and none of the cases was life-threatening," he said.

The school announced a seven-day break starting Friday and quarantined those who had been in close contact with the confirmed patients. All other students had been told to remain at home for observation.

A/H1N1 flu outbreaks were also reported Friday in schools in the provinces of Shandong, Hunan, Jiangsu and Guangdong and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with a total of 87 confirmed cases.

The number of confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases on Chinese campuses has been growing since the autumn term started Tuesday.

Schools and kindergartens across China have stepped up health checks for students and teachers this week.

In Beijing, school children are requested to report their temperatures on a daily basis.

The Beijing municipal government will begin to offer flu vaccinations in September and complete its program in late October. Free vaccinations will be provided to residents aged 60 or older as well as all primary and middle school students.

The State Food and Drug Administration approved A/H1N1 flu vaccines produced by two domestic pharmaceutical companies Thursday and Friday.

In the 48 hours ending 3 p.m. Friday, the Chinese mainland reported 434 new cases of the A/H1N1 influenza, putting the total number at 4,415, China's Health Ministry said Friday evening.

Among the newly confirmed, 12 were "imported cases," and the remainders were infected on the Chinese mainland, the ministry said.

More than 3,500 of all infected have recovered, the ministry said, adding that the influenza had so far caused no deaths on the mainland.

Globally, the disease has killed about 2,000 people and infected more than 180,000. It has spread to more than 170 countries.

(Xinhua News Agency September 4, 2009)