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Flu rates to soar with Spring Festival travel

By Wang Wen (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-01-06 13:22

Infection rates for A/H1N1 flu might jump during Spring Festival with an estimated 10 million travelers moving to and from the capital, the government warned yesterday.

The health warning was released by the Beijing Center for Disease Control (CDC) on Monday.

Spring Festival travel in 2010 will mostly occur between Jan 30 and March 10, with 210 million trips predicted across China, the Ministry of Railways said yesterday.

The ministry also said that last year, more than 13 million trips took place in Beijing alone.

"This mass movement of people will increase the likelihood of infection," said Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing CDC.

Crowded conditions combined with a large percentage of unvaccinated people will allow for rapid infection rates, she said.

"Although vaccines are available to all residents, the injection ratio is still very low in Beijing, " Pang said.

As of Dec 24, 2009, only 2 million Beijing residents had been inoculated, Beijing TV reported.

Pang also said that some people might become infected elsewhere and bring the virus back to Beijing after the festival.

She advised residents to get vaccinated two weeks before leaving Beijing in order to produce sufficient antibodies.

She also suggested the management departments of public transport companies and tourist hot spots to take measures to control the spread of H1N1.

"Ventilation is the most important factor," Pang said.

"It can help dilute the virus and reduce the risk of H1N1 infection," she explained.