Hung Fan-yee: flu vaccine can reduce risk of severe illness and death among elderly, also important for chronic disease management

HKU chair professor Hung Fan-yee said that receiving the flu vaccine can reduce the risk of severe illness and death among the elderly, and is also an important part of chronic disease management. He cited studies showing that cardiovascular disease patients face a 6 to 17 times higher risk of acute myocardial infarction within one week of being diagnosed with influenza, and an approximately 8 to 10 times higher risk of stroke. So Yiu-wah, president of the Hong Kong Association of Hospital Pharmacists, reminded the elderly to get vaccinated every year, noting that the live attenuated intranasal vaccine is not suitable for the elderly.