Hong Kong flu deaths hit 237 as public awaits vaccine

Nine people in Hong Kong died of flu on Wednesday, raising the death toll since the beginning of the year to 237 as authorities scramble to make a vaccine for the deadly H3N2 strain of the influenza virus available to the public by April, reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The business hub experienced its deadliest day of the flu season on Tuesday, when 18 people reportedly died of the virus. According to the Center for Health Protection (CHP), 322 serious cases serious cases have been reported since January.

Once a vaccine is made available, authorities will prioritize its distribution to elderly patients, who are the most vulnerable to the virus, reported the SCMP.

"Most deaths are elderly patients, aged 85 or above,” Dr. Chow Chung-Bong, chairman of the CHP’s health committee, told SCMP. “So we'll give priority for the vaccine according to age.”

But even before the arrival of the H3N2 vaccine, the city is encouraging vulnerable populations — the elderly, the pregnant and children — to get this year’s flu vaccine and wear face masks when outdoors, Channel News Asia (CNA) reported.

Despite the high death toll, health officials who are monitoring the virus closely have described the outbreak as “under control,” said CNA. The annual flu season usually claims about 500 to 1000 lives in the city of seven million people, the site reported.

A bustling port city that plays host to travellers and businesses from across the world, Hong Kong faced down the SARS virus, a respiratory disease, in 2003, which killed about 300 people.