The Department of Health today announced that starting November 10, secondary school students or residents aged below 18 will be eligible to participate in various seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) programmes.

The department explained that the decision to expand the scope of priority groups was made after the Centre for Health Protection’s Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases updated its recommendation on the priority groups for SIV.

The committee proposed to include secondary school students in the 2022-23 influenza season after reviewing scientific updates, local studies and overseas practices.

From November 10, eligible groups of Hong Kong residents will be expanded from covering children aged six months to under 12 years, to include those less than 18 years, or secondary school students, in various SIV programmes under the department for this season.

The centre said having secondary school students as another priority group for SIV could prevent possible school outbreaks and community transmission.

This in turn could help relieve the healthcare system during the coming flu season when influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens might be co-circulating, it added.

The committee’s latest recommendations are available on the CHP website.

Call 2125 2125 or visit the dedicated webpage for more information.