Experts have urged Hongkongers to get vaccinated against the flu, saying it is especially important for small children. Photo: Sam TsangBefore you read: Influenza season has begun in Hong Kong, with a surge in cases predicted to last until April. Schools should prepare for potential outbreaks as students return from holiday trips, and experts strongly recommend that preschool-aged children get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Think about it: Have you had your flu shot? How can you protect yourself and your family from the flu?
Hong Kong is expecting a spike in flu cases during an influenza season that may last until April, a government health expert has warned.
The city saw more people rushing to get a flu vaccine for protection after Taiwanese actress Barbie “Big S” Hsu Shi-yuan died from flu-triggered pneumonia in Japan in early February.
Dr Edwin Tsui Lok-kin, controller of the Centre for Health Protection, said last week that flu seasons in Hong Kong typically lasted two to four months, with this year’s beginning around January 9.
“Many Hongkongers travel abroad. So after they have returned from their trips, there are usually more outbreaks in schools … outbreaks often occur in workplaces as well,” he told a radio programme.
“We expect that children should start returning to school. In schools and workplaces, we anticipate that the transmission will be severe.”
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Last year’s flu season lasted 28 weeks due to a shift from the influenza A H3 strain to the H1 type.
Tsui said most flu cases detected were still H1, accounting for around 90 per cent, and there were no major changes in the dominant strain this winter for now.
He said this flu season was expected to last until March or April.
While Hong Kong is experiencing a surge of flu infections, the city’s vaccination rates have also gone up, especially for high-risk groups such as the elderly, children, and people with chronic conditions.
As of early February, 1.93 million doses of flu vaccines had been administered across various government vaccination schemes, Tsui said, representing a 6.4 per cent increase compared with the same period last year. A total of 1.87 million doses were given throughout the entire previous year.
Most children have received flu shots, with vaccination rates among primary and secondary school pupils ranging from more than 50 to 70 per cent.
But younger children who have yet to start school are slipping through the cracks. The current vaccination rate for children aged six months to two years is 21 per cent.
“In terms of public health, we particularly urge parents of those preschool-age children to take them to get vaccinated as soon as possible,” Tsui said.
He again reiterated the importance of getting vaccinated, as 75 per cent of this year’s severe flu cases had not received flu shots.
Tsui said there was a sufficient supply of flu vaccines in the market, with at least 140,000 doses reserved for private clinics.
As for non-high-risk groups, the official estimated around 390,000 doses had been administered through the private market, most likely to healthy individuals aged 18 to 49. This indicated a vaccination rate of 10 to 15 per cent for this group.
Experts earlier warned chronically ill patients to consider delaying any planned trips to countries battling flu surges. They also urged travellers to keep a record of local emergency numbers and buy insurance ahead of their departure.