Beijing On Alert Against Influenza Epidemic

����The Chinese capital city of Beijing heavily hit by an influenza epidemic last winter is on the alert again against possible outbreaks again.

����As another peak season for influenza approaches, health experts in Beijing are intensifying disease-control efforts. Measures include increasing the surveillance on possible mutation of influenza virus strains and advising those vulnerable to catching the common cold to have themselves vaccinated well in advance.

����The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Health has worked out a vaccination plan encouraging the elderly, patients with chronic diseases, medical personnel, school children,and workers to protect themselves through vaccination. However, influenza experts fear that mutation of virulent strains may weaken the effectiveness of vaccination.

����"Three different types of influenza virus caused serious epidemics last winter," said Dong Zhenying, a influenza expert with the Beijing Station of Epidemic Prevention.

����During the November-January period more than 1.1 million Beijing residents were infected by the virus. According to an influenza report just released by the Beijing Health Bureau, the prevalence rate for influenza was almost 30 percent in the mid- December period. The report stated that people over 55 had three to four times the risk of developing other illnesses than other age groups after they suffered from influenza.