China's Health Ministry Recommends Influenza Vaccinations

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, September 05, 2003

China's Health Ministry Recommends Influenza Vaccinations

China's Ministry of Heath on Thursday recommended vaccinations for certain groups at high risk of catching influenza.

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China's Ministry of Heath on Thursday recommended vaccinations for certain groups at high risk of catching influenza.

The ministry said in a notice that people in the early stages of influenza tended to show symptoms of fever, headache, muscle pain or coughing which were difficult to distinguish from those of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Vaccinations before the coming of the influenza season could help lower the toll of influenza and reduce the health burden the disease might result in, the ministry said.

The groups recommended by the ministry included the elderly, those with chronic diseases or in poor health, health workers, elementary school and kindergarten teachers, people in the servicesector and those who traveled frequently.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday also said on itsofficial website that vaccination could "reduce cases of respiratory disease that could be mistaken for SARS or raise suspicions requiring costly investigation".

It recommended that priority for influenza vaccination be givento those groups at highest risk of developing serious complications and to health workers caring for them.

Influenza infects 10 to 20 percent of the total population during seasonal epidemics each year, resulting in up to five million cases of severe illness and 250,000 to 500,000 deaths eachyear worldwide, according to the WHO.

Influenza is common in winter in China's northern areas, while in the warmer southern areas, it peaks in summer and winter.

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