The Centre for Health Protection has confirmed four new human swine flu cases involving a 21-year-old woman who flew in from Britain, a woman from the US, a 55-year-old local man and a 16-year-old secondary student.

Studying and living in Britain, the 21-year-old arrived in Hong Kong on flight BA025 on June 7. She came down with flu symptoms yesterday.

The second woman came to Hong Kong at 10pm yesterday from Texas via Los Angeles and Seoul.

The man works in Admiralty and has no recent travel history. He is believed to have become infected by another person who was confirmed as an imported case  on June 6. The two attended a June 5 cocktail party and talked for 15 to 20 minutes.

He was among 40-odd party-goers who have been under medical surveillance. He felt sick on June 8 and was sent to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital yesterday. The centre has classified the case as second-generation transmission arising from an overseas imported case.

School suspension

The 16-year-old is a secondary four student of St. Paul's Convent School in Causeway Bay who became ill on June 7. The centre received a report from the school yesterday that says she and eight classmates had developed flu and stayed at home.

The centre today advises the school to suspend classes until June 24. It will arrange for sick students to be hospitalised for checks. The other classmates will be given medication and put under surveillance.

The girl lives in Whampoa Garden with three family members and a foreign domestic helper. Her brother had flu symptoms at the end of May, which subsided on June 4. The Alliance Primary School where he studies does not report any outbreak.

The steering committee on pandemic strategies will hold a meeting tomorrow if the case is confirmed a local one.

Vaccine protection

Secretary for Food & Health Dr York Chow says the newly proposed swine flu vaccination programme can protect at-risk groups as far as possible.

Speaking to reporters this morning, Dr Chow said Hong Kong must prepare for a serious flu season this winter.

"We have to spend up to $1 billion on the whole vaccination programme, but I believe this works for our assurance that we can actually afford and be able to give some sense of comfort to our citizens this year."

When asked what other measures will be implemented in Hong Kong if the World Health Organisation raises the alert level, he said the city is aready operating as if there is a pandemic.