Hong Kong’s 2026/27 seasonal influenza vaccination programme will begin on 17 September, as officials warn that flu remains active in the city. Reports described Hong Kong as being at, or close to, the peak of the summer flu season, while urging residents to get vaccinated promptly.
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau, along with officials from the Health Bureau and senior Hospital Authority executives, received seasonal flu jabs at Sai Wan Ho Family Medicine Clinic on 7 September. Lo used the event to call on the public, particularly those seeking to protect children and older adults, to arrange vaccination.
The government has bought 1.3 million doses for the new season, and the first batch has already arrived in Hong Kong.
Lo said 16 children had been admitted to intensive care with severe influenza during the current flu season and that one child had died. He also said three additional severe cases involving children had been recorded over the preceding weekend. The supplied reports do not specify the reporting period or data source for these figures.
Lo said vaccination could reduce the risk of severe illness and death by nearly 80 per cent. The reports did not provide details of the research, the population covered or the method used to calculate that figure.
The first school outreach vaccination session is scheduled for 18 September. The Department of Health expects to complete 80 school outreach sessions during September and to hold more than 100 vaccination activities across the districts within two months.
About 80,000 students had submitted electronic consent forms through the Electronic Health Record Sharing System by 7 September. The relevant function is expected to become available to the general public from 17 September. The authorities have also introduced electronic consent forms, used multiple procurement channels to support vaccine supply and expanded a pilot scheme allowing eligible doctors to purchase vaccines, raising the quota from 100,000 doses to 300,000.
The vaccination programme and outreach sessions are the next steps as the government appeals to residents to get protected as soon as possible, with particular emphasis on children and older adults.