The first batch of the new Spikevax XFG COVID vaccine for people aged 12 and over is expected to arrive in Hong Kong in December 2026, the Centre for Health Protection says. Private doctors will then be able to order it from drug companies as usual.
The Centre said the gap in adult COVID vaccinations while the new vaccine is produced and delivered was normal and temporary. The expiry date for the previous adult vaccine, LP.8.1, passed in early September.
Children aged six months to 11 have been offered the new vaccine since 29 October. The government has 75 COVID vaccination locations across Hong Kong, including public and private clinics and maternal and child health centres. The Centre says there is no current need to add more, citing complex cold-chain handling and limited storage time after vaccines are thawed.
The update follows concerns from the Hong Kong Doctors Union. It said the COVID vaccination rate among people aged 50 and over was 1.27% in the previous 12 months. Nearly 40% of doctors in the union’s survey said they would not proactively recommend vaccination because they had no vaccine stock.
The Centre said initial-dose vaccination coverage in Hong Kong was above 90%, a high level internationally. It said it could not accurately calculate actual booster rates: many people with repeat infections or previous vaccination had mild symptoms and did not seek medical care, limiting the government’s ability to collect and review current infection numbers.
Eligible people can receive seasonal flu and COVID vaccines together at existing COVID vaccination locations, the Centre says. It recommends boosters only for high-risk groups, at least 180 days after the previous dose or infection, whichever was later.