HK official says flu season peak past

An official of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region said Friday that Hong Kong is past the peak of the flu season.

Under Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, said the highest number of reported cases was in January and that in the past weeks surveillance data has shown a decreasing number of cases.

But she still urged the public to remain vigilant as the flu activity remains high.

The influenza outbreak has killed 332 people in Hong Kong so far. In comparison, the SARS epidemic of 2003 killed 299 people. However, Chan thinks it is not appropriate to compare the two figures.

"They are different, during SARS we were facing a great uncertainty with an uncertain virus and at the time there were no treatment. But for seasonal influenza it is something that we are expecting," she told the RTHK.

Vaccinations and medications to fight the seasonal influenza are available. But Chan said that the effectiveness of the vaccines, recommended by the World Health Organization, was only 25 percent because the viral strain is different from the one that was predicted.

"Nevertheless, it is not without any protection. There are some protection but it has been reduced. So it is still important for people to get themselves vaccinated." she said.

The government has ordered new stronger vaccines which will arrive in April or May.