Residents in south urged to get flu shots

Medical experts in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region are urging people living in southern China, particularly children, to get vaccinated against influenza as parts of southern Chinese provinces and regions have entered peak flu season, with an increased number of cases having been reported.

"Vaccination is the most efficient and best choice to fight against influenza," said Jiang Lina, the doctor in charge of acute infectious disease control and prevention at Guangxi's disease control and prevention center.

While vaccination against COVID-19 has been greatly promoted, inoculations to combat influenza should likewise not be ignored, according to Jiang.

The increasing rate of influenza in some southern provinces in June has surpassed levels seen over the past three years, according to data released by the Chinese National Influenza Center.

According to the data, which was released on July 15, the positive rate of the influenza virus in those areas has trended upward as more cases are being reported, dominated by the H3N2 strain. In contrast, the rate in China's northern area has remained low.

From April 4 to June 19, the country's southern areas registered 503 influenza outbreak clusters of no less than 10 cases, up from 136 during the same period last year, the data showed. The provinces of Guangdong and Fujian were ranked the top two, with Guangxi third.

The health commission in Guangdong announced on July 19 that a total of four deaths of influenza were reported in the province in June.

Moreover, seven people died of influenza nationwide between January and May, according to the National Health Commission.

"The possibilities of a coexistence between COVID-19 and influenza remain high once influenza and other respiratory infectious diseases are prevalent. It will bring serious health risks," Jiang was quoted as saying by People's Daily.

The interval time between vaccinations against COVID-19 and influenza should be greater than 14 days, according to Jiang.

In addition to high transmission rates, the decline of preexisting immunity is one of the main reasons for the recent increase in incidences of influenza, according to sources with the Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Long periods of non-drug intervention and limited exposure to influenza have led to the decline of preexisting immunity, it added.

Usually, one dose of the vaccine is recommended during the flu season.

The Guangzhou CDC suggested people who were not vaccinated against the flu from September 2021 to May this year should get a shot as soon as possible.

"Preventive measures against respiratory disease infections are applicable to the prevention of both influenza and COVID-19," said Deng Wen, director of the emergency department of Guangdong Women and Children Hospital.

Authorities in Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi and Hainan provinces have issued health warnings, following a sharp increase in visits by fever patients in hospitals since June, according to local health authorities.

The number of patients in the hospital's fever clinic has risen sharply since June, with about 600-700 visits daily, almost twice as many as usual, according to Deng.