Hong Kong's summer flu season is in its 16th week with no clear sign of easing, Centre for Health Protection (CHP) controller Edwin Tsui said on Thursday on an RTHK radio programme. Last year's season ended around week 18, and he expects this year's to run longer.
Tsui linked the length to a change in dominant strains: influenza A H3 from the end of June, replaced by H1 in August. Over the past month, 10 to 12 percent of respiratory samples tested positive for flu, nearly double the baseline. Hospitalisation rates were 0.4 to 0.7 per 10,000 population, two to three times the benchmark.
What the flu figures mean for children and families
- This year 25 children were hospitalised in intensive care or died from severe flu; more than 80 percent were unvaccinated or had chronic illnesses.
- Two children have died, including a 12-year-old girl on Tuesday; Tsui said this year's outbreak is not milder than last year's.
- More than 900,000 vaccine doses have been given since last month's launch, 10 percent fewer than a year ago; children aged 2 to 5 and 6 to 11 fell nearly five percentage points.
What the CHP asks of the public
- Treat flu seriously: Tsui asks the public to pay attention and not underestimate it as a very simple disease.