Prepare for Hong Kong’s twin-peak flu season starting in December, warns top expert
University of Hong Kong professor Ivan Hung says first surge is likely to be driven by influenza A subtype H3 and second caused by H1.
Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
Hong Kong’s flu season is expected to start in December with two peaks, driven by different strains, according to an infectious disease expert.
Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, chair professor of infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong, said that flu activity levels remained low for now but could go up in about two months.
“I believe that we are likely to enter the flu season around December,” he told a radio programme. “The winter outbreak is likely to be similar to the [previous one] with double peaks.”
Hung said the first peak of the coming flu season could be driven by influenza A subtype H3. The second is likely to be caused by the H1 strain.
The academic also said that while Covid-19 cases might remain low for now, he expected a small peak around December or January. He said that it would likely not be as severe as the flu.
He urged residents to get their jabs to stay protected against respiratory infections since the annual government flu vaccine programme had started.
He advised the public to wait until November for the newer mRNA vaccine, which targets the JN.1 Covid-19 variant, one of the city’s most prevalent strains.
Quiz time
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When is the flu season expected to hit a high in Hong Kong this year?
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How many highs are expected in the flu season in Hong Kong?
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Which strain is expected to lead the first peak of the flu season?
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What advice did Hung give to Hong Kong residents?
Suggested answers
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December or January
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two
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influenza A subtype H3
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to get vaccinated against respiratory infections