Vaccination, hygiene urged as China enters winter flu season

Flu cases in China are expected to continue rising and residents are advised to get vaccinated and practice good personal hygiene, a health expert said on Friday.

Peng Zhibin, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said the current winter flu season is predominantly driven by the H3N2 subtype of influenza A. Infections from the H1N1 subtype and influenza B viruses are less common.

She added that no novel influenza strains or other new respiratory pathogens have been detected.

However, Peng noted that China has entered a period of rapidly increasing flu cases, with the majority of regions seeing a high level of virus circulation.

"There has been a marked increase in flu outbreaks at childcare facilities and schools," she said, revealing that the flu detection rate among children aged five to 14 is significantly higher than in other age groups.

"Flu cases are projected to continue rising in the coming days," she added.

Peng urged the public to receive flu vaccines promptly and to adopt personal protective measures, including wearing masks and ensuring good ventilation. She also emphasized the importance of implementing health monitoring and maintaining hygienic environments in schools and other key facilities. Specifically, schools are advised to monitor student absences due to illness and to encourage sick students and staff to stay home.