Hongkongers urged to get vaccinated as city enters flu season
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong’s Department of Health has urged residents, especially the elderly and children, to get vaccinated as the city enters influenza season.
Flu and other respiratory infectious diseases are expected to increase further as the weather becomes colder, Edwin Tsui, controller of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said on Thursday.
The percentage of specimens testing positive for seasonal influenza viruses stood at 5.69 per cent, according to CHP’s surveillance data as of last Saturday.
The CHP said the city had entered another influenza season. Members of the public should receive seasonal influenza vaccination immediately to lower the risk of serious complications and even death.
“Based on previous surveillance data, virus activity will continue to increase for a period of time after the start of the influenza season before peaking,” a statement from the CHP read.
School outbreaks
Hong Kong has seen an uptick in the number of reports of influenza-like outbreaks after Christmas and the New Year holidays. Within a week a total of 45 people were affected in seven institutional or school outbreaks.
The CHP predicted that there would be an increase in similar outbreaks at schools as flu season began. Schools were reminded to take additional measures to prevent against outbreaks.
As of last Sunday, around 1.83 million doses of flu vaccine had been administered over the past year under various vaccination programmes. The number of schools which took part in the outreach programme also rose. But the CHP said 168 schools still “refused” to arrange such activities for students. Separately, 13 schools had agreed to organise outreach activities but had not confirmed a date for the vaccinations.
These schools and their information were posted on the CHP’s website.
“[Tsui] strongly urges schools that have not yet set a date for vaccination to arrange vaccination activities as soon as possible in the next two weeks to protect the health of schoolchildren and minimise absenteeism due to influenza which can affect their learning,” CHP said in its statement.
Tsui added high-risk individuals should wear a surgical mask when visiting public places, and residents should consider wearing a face mask on public transport or in crowded areas.
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