Hong Kong students, high-risk cases can get flu vaccines 1 week early this year

Hong Kong's government has made it possible for school students and high-risk individuals to receive flu vaccines one week earlier in 2026-27. This change comes after the authorities diversified their vaccine procurement efforts and streamlined administrative procedures. The aim is to increase vaccination rates among the elderly (65 or above) and young children (six months to two years) by using reminders from doctors during medical visits as a priority measure.

The seasonal influenza vaccination programs for 2026-27 are set to begin on September 17, a week earlier than in the previous year. Dr Edwin Tsui, controller of the Centre for Health Protection, explained that despite a slight decrease in cases, influenza remains active in August, and as students return to school, the risk of transmission increases. He advised students to get vaccinated as soon as possible due to the likelihood of transmissions and outbreaks in schools after the new academic year starts.

The vaccination programs include the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (VSS) and outreach programs for schools and residential care homes. This year, the government has procured a total of 1.3 million doses, with 660,000 from Sanofi and 530,000 from Sinovac. The number of nasal spray and recombinant vaccines has also increased to about 60,000 each. The injection of some vaccines began earlier this year due to their arrival from different manufacturers.

Administrative preparations for schools have been facilitated by the introduction of e-consent forms for parents via the government's eHealth system. The Health Bureau's Strategic Purchasing Office also strengthened a pilot scheme that allows private doctors to procure vaccines with government contracts, tripling the supply and expanding the eligibility for participating doctors. Dr Christina Maw noted that 300,000 jabs were procured under the scheme, up from 100,000 last year.

In 2025-26, a total of 2.03 million vaccines were administered through government schemes, down slightly from nearly 2.09 million the previous year. While the coverage of children aged six months to two years rose to 27.4%, it still needs improvement as the proportion is relatively low. The vaccination rate among residents aged 65 or above was 49.4%, 1.3 percentage points lower than the average of the previous three years.

The government aims to address this by working closely with doctors to remind patients to get their flu jabs.