Hong Kong parents, schools urged to advance flu shots after girl’s death

Hong Kong schools and parents should bring forward vaccination appointments for children and strengthen control measures, infectious disease specialists have said, warning that influenza B is just as dangerous as influenza A.

Their calls were made after a 13-year-old girl who had not received the seasonal influenza vaccination died in hospital on Sunday following an influenza B infection. It was the first paediatric flu-related death in Hong Kong this year.

“School administrations should consider liaising with immunisation teams for earlier vaccine appointments,” said Dr Mike Kwan Yat-wah, president of the Asian Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases.

“Parents can also get their children vaccinated through other ways, such as private doctors.”

He also stressed that serious complications could arise from seasonal influenza.

According to Kwan, the influenza B virus can cause myocarditis – an inflammation of the inner muscular layer of the heart – or affect other organs.