HK in major flu outbreak, expert warns

Hong Kong is in the midst of a major flu outbreak, with cases rising sharply among children and schools, said an infectious disease expert on Wednesday. The warning comes after health authorities confirmed the city’s first child death linked to influenza this year.

Mike Kwan Yat-wah, president of the Asian Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases, said on a radio program this morning that the number of children admitted to hospital with flu infections has surged over the past one to two weeks, while school outbreaks reported by the Department of Health have also increased.

“The number of cases is climbing continuously — we are now in a period of major flu outbreak,” Kwan said. “But it’s still uncertain when the situation will reach its peak.”

He noted that Hong Kong’s summer flu season typically ends by August, but changing weather patterns and increased social interaction have blurred the traditional boundaries between summer and winter flu seasons.

“We can no longer clearly say whether this is the summer or winter flu,” he said, adding that neighboring regions — including Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia — have also reported fatalities from influenza.

Calls for faster vaccinations in schools

More than 2,300 schools across Hong Kong are participating in the government’s Seasonal Influenza Vaccination School Outreach Programme, though over 90 percent are scheduled to conduct their vaccination drives only by late November or later.

Kwan said he had learned that some schools were planning to hold their vaccination sessions as late as mid-December, which he described as “too late.”

“We are already in the middle of an outbreak,” he said. “If manpower can be strengthened to help students get vaccinated earlier, that would be ideal.”

Kwan stressed that achieving herd immunity is key to preventing the spread of influenza. 

“Vaccines work best when a significant proportion of people are vaccinated — that’s how we stop cross-transmission of the virus,” he said, urging both parents and the general public to get their flu shots as soon as possible.

Schools urged to stay alert, not panic

St. Mark’s School* in Shau Kei Wan issued an internal notice recently, requiring all staff and students to wear masks for one week after an increase in flu cases on campus, following advice from the Department of Health.

Kwan said wearing masks is “one of several effective ways” to reduce infections but noted that schools do not need to enforce universal mask-wearing if no outbreak has occurred or if no one is showing symptoms.

He advised schools to report flu cases to the Centre for Health Protection promptly and seek expert assessment.

“Once infections appear, health authorities can determine whether stronger measures — such as heightened precautions or temporary online learning — are needed,” he said.

Kwan concluded by warning that flu transmission remains active citywide and reiterated the importance of early vaccination and vigilance.