Hong Kong enters its summertime influenza season with another case of extreme paediatric influenza A infection reported
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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (September 9) revealed a case of serious paediatric influenza A infection. The CHP likewise advised members of the general public that the regional influenza activity has actually even more increased over the previous week, suggesting that Hong Kong has actually gone into the summertime influenza season. Members of the general public need to preserve excellent individual and ecological health at all times. Schools and moms and dads need to schedule kids to take part in the seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) programs at the start of the brand-new academic year to get complimentary vaccination and avoid breathing infections.
New case of serious paediatric influenza A infection
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The case includes a 15-year-old young boy who established a fever, aching throat, coughing and throwing up the other day (September 8). He went to a personal health center and was confessed to its paediatric extensive care system. His nasopharyngeal swab specimen was favorable for influenza A (H3) infection upon lab screening. The medical diagnosis was influenza A made complex with septic shock. He was moved to a basic ward today and remains in steady condition. Far, his family contacts are asymptomatic.
The CHP examination exposed that the young boy had actually gotten the 2024/25 seasonal influenza vaccine. 5 other trainees in his class just recently established moderate influenza-like signs in between September 5 and 6. They looked for medical treatment and none needed hospitalisation. No break outs have actually been reported in other classes at the school up until now. The CHP encouraged the school on the essential infection control steps to be executed and will continue to put the school under medical security.
Given that last Friday (September 5), 5 cases of extreme paediatric influenza A infection have actually been taped. This marked the very first event of extreme paediatric cases given that mid-April this year. Because January this year, the CHP has actually tape-recorded a cumulative overall of 16 cases of extreme influenza infection infections in kids. 10 of them were unvaccinated in the 2024/25 season.
Influenza activity continues to increase
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After carefully keeping track of influenza patterns over the previous 2 weeks, the CHP figured out that Hong Kong has actually gone into the summer season influenza season. Summer season influenza seasons do not take place every year. Throughout the years before the COVID-19 pandemic (in between 2010 and 2019), Hong Kong experienced a summertime influenza season in 5 years. The summer season influenza seasons normally happened in between July and August, and lasted for 6 to 18 weeks. The CHP prepared for that the regional influenza activity would stay at a reasonably high level in the near term.
According to initial security information, the portion of breathing specimens checking favorable for seasonal influenza infections throughout the week of August 31 to September 6 was 6.94 percent (provisionary figure), greater than the 6.16 percent tape-recorded throughout the preceding week (August 24 to 30).
Relating to break outs influenza-like disease (ILI) in schools and domestic care homes (RCHs), the CHP taped 26 break outs throughout the week of August 31 to September 6, impacting an overall of 259 people, almost doubling from the 14 break outs (impacting 81 people) reported throughout the previous week (August 24 to 30). With the start of the brand-new school term, there has actually been a substantial boost in ILI break outs in schools. The variety of break outs increased from 4 (impacting 25 individuals) in the week ending August 30 to 15 (impacting 202 individuals) in the week ending September 6. In the very first 3 days of this week (September 7 to 9), 24 school break outs (impacting 276 individuals) were taped, with 4 cases including 20 to 98 individuals. The CHP personnel have actually examined these schools and encouraged the schools on essential infection control steps. These consisted of advising that trainees use masks on school, properly opening windows to enhance ventilation in specific activity spaces and class, completely cleaning up and sanitizing the school, and suspending inter-class and inter-grade activities. The CHP likewise encouraged instructors and trainees to inspect their temperature level daily before going back to school. If they establish signs or fever, they ought to not go to school. The CHP will continue to put these schools and RCHs under medical security.
Vaccination efficiently avoids serious cases of seasonal influenza and its issues
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Vaccination has actually been clinically shown to be among the most efficient methods to avoid seasonal influenza and its issues. It likewise minimizes the dangers of in-patient admission and death due to seasonal influenza. The Government has actually the whole time been motivating the general public to get vaccination as early as possible, and offering totally free and subsidised seasonal influenza vaccines to qualified high-risk groups through numerous vaccination programs. Throughout the previous influenza season (2024/25), around 2.09 million dosages of seasonal influenza vaccines were administered under numerous SIV Programmes, setting a brand-new historic high. Extreme influenza cases amongst grownups and kids reduced substantially by 20 percent and 60 percent respectively, compared to the influenza seasons before the COVID-19 pandemic. It is thought to be attributable to greater vaccination rates.
The DH revealed the other day (September 8) that the 2025/26 SIV Programmes would begin on September 25 to supply a totally free or subsidised SIV to qualified high-risk groups through different vaccination programs. A variety of brand-new efforts have actually been presented to motivate and make it possible for public involvement, consisting of additional improving the SIV School Outreach Programme so that all schools might select to utilize the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV nasal vaccines) and “hybrid mode”i.e. schools being enabled to pick both injectable suspended influenza vaccines (IIV) and LAIV for the exact same or various outreach vaccination activities. Around 2 300 schools (99 percent) have actually signed up with the outreach program. To secure trainees’ health, the CHP will release a list of schools not taking part in the program on its main site to advise moms and dads to quickly schedule kids in those schools to get vaccinations from family practitioner.
To make vaccinations more available, the Government will open all 29 of the DH’s Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs) for all kids aged 6 months to under 2 years. The 25 District Health Centres and District Health Centre Expresses and their service outlets under the Primary Healthcare Commission, and 74 basic outpatient centers and 38 public healthcare facilities of the Hospital Authority to offer more options for the public. For a list of vaccination places, please describe the CHP’s Vaccination Schemes page. Beginning with 9am on September 22, moms and dads of qualified kids might reserve a visit for their kids to get vaccinations at designated MCHCs through the online reservation system.
The CHP advised high-risk individuals to use surgical masks when checking out public locations. The public must likewise use a surgical mask when taking public transportation or staying in congested locations. Individuals with breathing signs, even if moderate, need to use a surgical mask and look for medical guidance immediately, and think about whether to go to work or school. For the current details on seasonal influenza, members of the general public can check out the CHP’s seasonal influenza and COVID-19 & & Flu Express web pages.