Hong Kong officials were quick to make sure that the recent deaths of several children in an influenza epidemic had no link to bird flu. And the city has moved aggressively to stop the spread of the flu as well as the fear it has inspired. In one of the most muscular examples of an organized response to a flu outbreak in recent times, Hong Kong shuttered schools for two weeks and is now rolling out a free vaccination program for a million children 12 and under. With its history of deadly viruses, including a SARS outbreak that killed 300 people and brought the city to a virtual standstill, Hong Kong is using every tool in the kit to stop this epidemic as quickly as possible. And they're creating a blueprint for other crowded cities which face the same challenge in the future.
- read the report in China Daily
Computer model points to flu pandemic strategy. Report