Gov’t urges citizens to get vaccinated for influenza

Influenza A infections surged from December 2023 to January 2024 before declining in February and then rising again in late March, according to Leong Iek Hou, director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention at the Health Bureau.

The doctor attributed the recurrence to “weakened immunity caused by frequent mask-wearing during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Guesting on TDM Radio Macau to further elaborate on this issue, the director analyzed data from the five-month period, reporting that 16% of fever cases were severe cases of influenza, while 12% were due to a new coronavirus variant. Leong also noted a 75% year-on-year increase in cluster infections at schools and early childhood institutions, with influenza A accounting for 40% of these outbreaks.

“This year’s influenza vaccine is consistent with the currently circulating viruses, and vaccination can effectively prevent severe influenza,” Leong said.

According to the Health Bureau, as of last Wednesday 173,000 doses of the 2023/2024 influenza vaccine had been administered, a nearly 20% increase from the previous year. The vaccine will be available until August at the latest.

The influenza vaccine coverage rate in Macau’s institutions exceeds 90% and the rate in kindergartens and primary schools is nearly 80%. Over 50% of people both under and over 65 have been vaccinated.

Macau has also seen significant increase in Covid-19 vaccinations, with 676,000 people vaccinated and over 1.85 million doses administered. Additionally, more than 20,000 people have received the XBB variant Covid-19 vaccine.

Meanwhile, the public hospital has reported that the number of respiratory infections in the region from January to April matches the total from the previous year.

During the previous month, the hospital documented 5,570 cases among children, with the highest infection rates occurring in children aged six to seven years old. Howard Tong