Poll: 85% of Chinese back gov't on flu prevention

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-05-26 23:08

BEIJING -- More than 85 percent of the Chinese public are satisfied with government measures to prevent the spread of the A(H1N1) flu, according to a survey released Tuesday.

The online survey of 15,002 people by the China Youth Daily Social Survey Center found that "more than 62 percent of the public believe more people will cultivate hygienic habits because of the flu virus and 41 percent say the public's sense of responsibility will be elevated," the newspaper said.

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A（H1N1）Influenza Outbreak

Health authorities have stepped up efforts against the flu as it has spread worldwide. Stringent quarantines involving Chinese and foreign nationals have been the object of controversy. The government has insisted that the quarantines were legal and pointed out that all the confirmed flu cases in the country were diagnosed among those returning from abroad.

As of Tuesday, the mainland had 12 confirmed A(H1N1) flu cases.

The survey showed that more than 54 percent of those responding said it was "our responsibility not to become a source of infection," while 30 percent said it was unnecessary to blame flu patients who unintentionally infected others.

The survey also found that 15 percent of the respondents would cancel their foreign travel plans. More than 10 percent said they preferred to stay indoors. Seven percent had sought traditional Chinese medicine or flu vaccine to prevent the disease, and 4 percent said they would seek medical advice via hotline services.