Govt to launch Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program on Sep 25 with five new initiatives

The Department of Health (DH) announced on Monday that the 2025/26 Seasonal Influenza Vaccination (SIV) Program will begin on September 25, introducing five new initiatives to enhance public access.

According to a statement released today, eligible high-risk groups can access free or subsidized vaccinations through the SIV School Outreach Programme, the Residential Care Home Vaccination Programme, and the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme.

Edwin Tsui Lok-kin, Controller of the Centre for Health Protection, reported that about 2.09 million seasonal influenza vaccine doses were administered under various programs, a 10 percent increase from the 2023/24 season, marking a record high.

Tsui noted a significant decline in severe influenza cases last season, with a 20 percent reduction among adults and 60 percent among children compared to pre-pandemic influenza seasons. School outbreaks of influenza-like illnesses also dropped by nearly 90 percent.

New measures include expanding eligibility to include individuals aged 18 to 49 with chronic medical conditions for free or subsidized vaccinations, he said. 

Schools under the SIV School Outreach Programme are allowed to choose both injectable inactivated influenza vaccines and live attenuated influenza vaccines for the same or different outreach vaccination activities. 

The government will also provide recombinant influenza vaccine to better protect the elderly living in institutions, while a pilot scheme will be launched to procure part of the vaccine for private doctors to stabilize supply.

Addtionally, the website providing information on private doctors participating in the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme will be optimized to allow doctors to update details in real time, with an improved search function. 

Tsui urged the public to get vaccinated early ahead of the winter influenza season, as it takes about two weeks for the body to develop sufficient antibodies for effective protection.