2 unvaccinated Hong Kong children severely ill after contracting flu
Health authorities renew calls for parents to ensure their children receive flu jabs promptly
Two unvaccinated Hong Kong children are in a severe condition in hospital after contracting the flu.
The two cases – a five-year-old boy and a girl, 14 – prompted renewed calls from health authorities on Tuesday for parents to ensure their children received flu jabs.
The Centre for Health Protection said the boy, who had been in good health, developed a high fever and a sore throat on Sunday and was taken to Tuen Mun Hospital the following day.
His household contacts were asymptomatic and there was no recent influenza outbreak at his school, the centre said, adding that he had no travel history during the incubation period.
He tested positive for influenza A (H1) and remained in hospital in a severe condition.
“In the first three days this week, the centre has received two severe cases of influenza A infection in unvaccinated children, including the one announced [on Monday] which involved a 14-year-old girl,” a spokesman for the centre said.
The centre said the 14-year-old special boarding school pupil had suffered from a fever and discomfort on January 8. Two days later, she visited a private doctor.