Hong Kong flu toll climbs to 237 after highest number of deaths in single day

The death toll from the flu outbreak this year rose to 237 today after nine more patients succumbed to the virus, the government said.

This comes just a day after 18 flu patients died - the highest number in a single day since the epidemic began.

The government said high-risk groups such as the elderly and chronically ill would be given priority for a vaccine against the predominant H3N2 virus, which is expected to arrive in April.

Some 322 serious flu cases have been reported since January, the Centre for Health Protection said.

Controller Dr Leung Ting-hung said there was still a high number of serious cases. "The flu surge will remain for some time," Leung said, after meeting the centre's vaccine committee.