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Hong Kong set for late start to winter flu season in February, expert says, calling on high-risk groups to get vaccinated immediately
- Professor Ivan Hung says seasonal flu cycle has been disrupted by Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in a delayed start to winter outbreak
- ‘At present, Hong Kong is in the final stage of summer influenza season as the outbreak has been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic,’ he adds
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Hong Kong’s winter outbreak of seasonal flu is expected to emerge later than usual and start in February, a top government health adviser has said, calling on those most vulnerable to the infection to get their vaccine jabs as soon as possible.
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Professor Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, a top infectious diseases expert from the University of Hong Kong, made the call on Saturday as he noted the seasonal flu cycle had been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“At present, Hong Kong is in the final stage of summer influenza season as the outbreak has been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he told a radio programme. “The winter influenza outbreak will begin from February to April next year with the flu cycle and coronavirus seasons emerging alternatively every six months.”
Hung, who also serves on the government’s Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases, urged those considered high-risk groups, such as children, the chronically ill and elderly people living in care homes, to get an influenza shot immediately to prepare for the coming winter outbreak.
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