Hong Kong health authorities are urging residents to get the latest seasonal influenza vaccine as the city braces for a potential winter flu wave, with temperatures dropping to the season's lowest. The Centre for Health Protection's appeal coincides with concerns from an infectious disease specialist about low vaccination rates in the community. Recent data indicates the summer flu season is winding down.
Hong Kong health authorities urged the public on Saturday 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) 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. Keywords highlight elements like the Hong Kong Observatory, Influenza A(H3N2) viruses, winter flu season, and mentions of Ivan Hung Fan-ngai from the University of Hong Kong, though specific quotes are not detailed in the available data. The World Health Organisation is also referenced in relation to seasonal influenza.