Flu shots prescribed as surge continues

It is hard to predict when the flu surge will end as influenza A virus subtypes H1 and H3 hit Hong Kong one after the other, University of Hong Kong pediatric expert Lau Yu-lung said.

This came as an eight-year-old girl with good past health died last Thursday after being infected with H1 flu, marking the first child fatality case this year. A six-year-old girl infected with the virus complicated with brain disease is also fighting for her life.

The Centre for Health Protection said yesterday the six-year-old, with good past health, developed a fever and cough last Friday and visited the private Union Hospital the next day.

She was brought to the public Prince of Wales Hospital's pediatric intensive care unit the same day before being transferred to the intensive care unit of Hong Kong Children's Hospital in the evening.

Speaking on radio, Lau said Hong Kong has recorded around 20 serious cases of children infected with the flu during the current flu season.

The patients would usually lose consciousness and have convulsions, he said, adding some children would even develop serious myocarditis - an inflammation of the heart muscle - and brain inflammation.

Lau said half of the young patients who develop serious conditions or die following flu infection were known to have underlying diseases while the rest, who have good past health, may have impaired immune systems.

He said the flu peak continued as two types of Influenza A viruses - H1 and H3 - hit Hong Kong by turns.

"This is a unique characteristic of the flu," he said, adding it is difficult to predict when the flu peak will end.

Lau expected another outbreak of flu B virus this summer or winter and asked the public to be vaccinated, especially for children and the elderly. He said the vaccination rate among the elderly is only 40 percent and needs to be improved.

On Saturday, the CHP said an eight-year-old infected with H1 flu was sent to Kwong Wah Hospital emergency room last Thursday after she developed fever and convulsions.

Although the girl had good past health, her condition deteriorated and she passed away on the same day.

The center said the girl did not receive a flu vaccine for this season and had no travel history.

It urged the public to heighten vigilance against the flu and get vaccinated as soon as possible.

"Influenza can cause serious illness in high-risk individuals and even healthy persons. Seasonal influenza vaccination is one of the most effective means to prevent seasonal influenza and its complications, as well as reducing influenza-related hospitalization and death," a center spokesman said.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com