Health expert calls for children to get jabbed as flu peak looms

Infectious disease expert Ivan Hung Fan-ngai on Saturday called on children to get their influenza vaccinations as flu cases are expected to spike ahead of the Lunar New Year.

The University of Hong Kong professor told a radio program this morning that Hong Kong has entered the winter flu season, with influenza activity surpassing the baseline set by the World Health Organization.

He anticipated that a flu spike would occur before the Lunar New Year, especially in kindergartens and primary schools.

The infection rate among children aged 5 and under has risen significantly and could lead to the spread of the virus within households, he said.

Meanwhile, the health expert said a significant number of people returning to Hong Kong from Japan have exhibited flu symptoms, possibly due to the colder winter temperatures in Japan.

"For those who are just coming back from overseas, then of course, if they have symptoms of influenza or flu, then they should be seeing doctors. They should do a rapid test and they could see a doctor and get treatment," he said.

"It's usually quite minor for children, so they could get a Panadol, paracetamol, some nasal decongestants, some medication for that. I would recommend staying at home until they fully recover before going to school."