The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) announced today that the 2025-26 Seasonal Influenza Vaccination (SIV) Programmes will commence on September 25.

New initiatives will also be introduced to enable public access to seasonal influenza vaccines, including expanding the eligible group and enhancing the SIV School Outreach Programme.

Announcing the SIV programmes’ launch this afternoon, CHP Controller Edwin Tsui said that under various vaccination plans, approximately 2.09 million doses of seasonal influenza vaccines were administered, a 10% increase compared to the 2023-24 influenza season and setting a new historical high.

To further increase SIV coverage, all individuals aged 18 to 49 with chronic medical conditions are eligible for free or subsidised influenza vaccinations this year, regardless of financial status, he added.

As for further enhancing the School Outreach Programme, Dr Tsui noted that secondary schools, primary schools, kindergartens and child care centres may adopt the "hybrid mode", under which they can choose both injectable inactivated influenza vaccines and the live attenuated influenza vaccine for the same or different outreach vaccination activities.

Approximately 2,300 schools have joined the outreach programme, representing a participation rate of 99%. To safeguard students' health, the CHP will publish a list of schools not participating in the programme on its official website so that parents can arrange for their children in those schools to receive vaccinations from family doctors.

Another initiative covers the provision of the recombinant influenza vaccine for seniors living in institutions. Through the Residential Care Home Vaccination Programme, all residents of residential care homes for the elderly and residents aged 65 or above in residential care homes for persons with disabilities can receive the vaccine.

Additionally, the Department of Health has assisted in the procurement of an additional 100,000 doses of injectable inactivated influenza vaccines for Specified Vaccination Subsidy Scheme Family Doctors this year so as to ensure eligible high-risk groups can receive SIV via this scheme.

To assist people in managing their personal health records and healthcare services more effectively, eligible individuals aged 18 or above must register for eHealth starting this year to receive subsidised or free seasonal influenza vaccines.