A disease control expert in China has issued a warning on January 23, 2014 that a low vaccination and many active virus strains are leading to a grave flu control situation in the country this winter. Feng Zijian, the deputy director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that the virus is even more active in 2014, compared to the previous years.
The virus is especially active in the south China region, while the first death related to flu in Beijing was reported on January 23, 2014. Reports say that a 73-year-old man was suffering from other diseases, in addition to having a flu. Feng went on to say that the country’s health departments have noticed three major strains of the flu virus, including H1, H3 and Influenza B.
In the past, just one strain usually prevailed, but during the current winter, all three strains are very active and make both prevention and treatment extremely difficult. The deputy director went on to say that the best way to prevent the virus is through vaccination, however, the vaccination rate in China remains at 2 to 3 percent of the population on a yearly basis.?
The reason behind the low vaccination rate is the lack of public awareness about the dangers of the flu, in addition to concerns about the safety of domestic vaccines.
Photo Credits: Mirror UK
