Hongkongers urged to get flu shots as city braces for winter virus wave
Centre for Health Protection’s appeal coincides with infectious disease expert’s concerns over low vaccination rates in the community
Hong Kong health authorities have urged the public to get the latest seasonal influenza vaccine ahead of the next wave of the flu virus, as temperatures in the city dropped to their lowest so far this winter.
The appeal by the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) on Saturday coincided with similar calls by an infectious disease specialist, who expressed concerns over the low vaccination rates in the population.
The warnings came as temperatures at the Hong Kong Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui dropped to as low as 11.4 degrees Celsius (52.5 Fahrenheit) on Saturday morning.
Despite falling temperatures, data appeared to suggest that the current flu season – the summer one – was coming to an end.
According to the centre, the overall admission rate for flu-related cases in public hospitals fell to 0.28 per 10,000 people during the past week from December 21 to 27. The baseline level is 0.27 cases per 10,000 population.
This marks a decrease from 0.37 and 0.49 recorded in the previous two weeks, according to the centre.