Get ready for the flu season
The first cold front this winter hit Hong Kong on Thursday as the mercury dropped to 18 degrees Celsius in early morning. It is the time of the year when instance of influenza rises and clinics become busier, commonly known as the flu season. Hong Kong residents are truly blessed in terms of disease prevention because the SAR government has done an outstanding job of providing flu shots for the public, particularly senior citizens and children. This year the government began offering senior citizens with free flu shots weeks before the first temperature dip and even lowered the age limit from 65 or above to 60 or above. All eligible people should go to the nearest clinic and get flu vaccinations as soon as possible for the sake of personal health as well as that of the community.
Seasonal flu has become so common in winter many people now receive flu shots every year to stay immune to, or at least enhance their protection against, the respiratory tract viral infection, which typically causes high fever and sometimes even pneumonia. That is also why doctors strongly advise senior citizens and parents of babies and school children to take all precautions necessary to protect themselves and their children from flu infection. Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said earlier this week more than 590,000 flu shots have been administered so far this season, 50 percent more than the amount a year ago. This indicates public awareness of flu prevention has been elevated markedly.
The Hospital Authority has also stepped up preparations for the flu season, including an additional 547 beds in government hospitals throughout Hong Kong in anticipation of severe flu patients in the coming weeks. The number of doctors and nurses at government hospitals and clinics has expanded by around 200 and 830, respectively, this fiscal year. This is an encouraging sign that flu patients should have little worry about getting adequate care and treatment. Nevertheless, members of the public are better off getting vaccinated now than taking chances and putting vaccination off. Of course, everybody should keep in mind that once they receive the first flu shots they must do it every year to keep its effectiveness.
Some people, when told to receive flu vaccinations, tend to brush it aside because they are confident they are strong enough physically to resist communicable diseases. That is pretty common among men who exercise regularly and hardly ever catch a common cold, but it is a dangerous notion nonetheless because there is no shortage of examples that prove them wrong — sometimes with dire consequences. The truth is a strong physique does not mean immunity forever; we can acquire immunity/protection only through vaccination. Since seasonal flu has become increasingly common, people are strongly advised to get flu shots for themselves and other members of the family if they have not done so already. Just remember you must do it annually until being told otherwise.