Hong Kong recorded a 30% increase in flu vaccine requests following Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu’s death from pneumonia complications on 2 February 2025.
Hsu, who acted in the TV series “Meteor Garden” under the stage name Da S, was 48. She visited three medical facilities in Japan between 29 January and 1 February 2025 after falling ill. She was hospitalized on 1 February and passed away the next day. Her remains will be cremated in Japan before burial in Taiwan.
Hong Kong family doctor Lam Wing-wo told The Standard that pharmaceutical companies confirmed adequate vaccine supplies for Hong Kong.
Taiwan’s free vaccine supply decreased by 40,000 doses, leaving 160,000 doses available as of Tuesday. Some regions in Taiwan have run out of supplies. Taiwan’s Health and Welfare Minister Chiu Tai-yuan recommended prioritizing high-risk groups, particularly elderly residents.
Over two million doses remain in Taiwan’s total supply. Taipei’s Department of Health predicted the free supply will run out soon.
School vaccination rates in Taipei showed 98% of schools have completed or scheduled flu shots. The vaccination rate for children aged six months to under two years stands at 20%.
Japan recorded 9.523 million influenza cases over 144 days. Osaka averaged 29.64 new cases per precinct from 29 January to 4 February. Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare documented 317,812 cases between 23 to 29 December 2024, marking its largest influenza outbreak in 25 years.
The Department of Health launched a catch-up HPV vaccination program for female students in secondary five and above for the 2024-25 school year.
