A government flu vaccination subsidy scheme will be advanced to commence three days earlier, on Monday, in view of the continued increase in influenza activity in Hong Kong, according to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health.

Eligible high-risk groups can visit private doctors participating in the vaccination subsidy scheme and receive a free or subsidized seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) from that day, the CHP said in a notification.

Over 1,700 doctors have applied to join the vaccination subsidy scheme. The special administrative region government will provide a subsidy of HK$260 per dose of vaccination.

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Meanwhile, other public vaccination venues, including the department's Maternal and Child Health Centres, District Health Centres and District Health Centre Expresses, and their service outlets, the general outpatient clinics and public hospitals, as well as SIV School Outreach Programme and the Residential Care Home Vaccination Programme, will remain to provide SIV starting from Thursday.

Pointing out that Hong Kong has entered the summer influenza season, CHP Controller Dr Edwin Tsui said, “The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for seasonal influenza viruses during the past week (Sept 7 to 13) was 8.31 percent, higher than the 6.97 percent recorded during the preceding week.

“The influenza admission rate in public hospitals is 0.44 cases per 10,000 population, higher than the 0.42 cases recorded during the preceding week.”

Outbreaks of influenza-like illness in schools and residential care homes have significantly increased in the past two weeks, he added.

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As of Thursday, there have been 131 influenza-like illness outbreaks involving schools since the start of the school year. There were seven cases of severe pediatric influenza A infection recorded in the same period, three of whom were unvaccinated in the previous season.

Pointing out that the number of infected patients and outbreaks is expected to remain at a high level in the near term in view of the increased influenza activity, Dr Tsui said: “We appeal to your support on SIV. Get vaccinated once a year, and sooner is better than later.”