The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) today announced that the 2024-25 Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Programmes, including the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination School Outreach Programme and the Residential Care Home Vaccination Programme, will begin on September 26. 

The centre said local seasonal influenza activity currently remains at a low level, but it anticipates that activity will increase by the end of this year with the weather expected to become cooler.

It urged the public to receive the seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) to better protect themselves during the coming flu season.

The centre noted that the eligibility criteria for receiving free or subsidised flu jabs remains largely the same as in the previous season, but additional vaccination venues will be introduced to make vaccinations more accessible this year.

The venues will include the Department of Health’s Maternal & Child Health Centres (MCHC) for all children aged six months to under two years, as well as 16 District Health Centres/District Health Centre Expresses for the public.

Parents of children aged six months to under two years may book an appointment for their children to receive vaccinations at designated MCHCs via the online booking system from 9am on September 23.

The CHP also said over 1,600 doctors have enrolled in the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme and the Government will provide a subsidy of $260 per dose of vaccination.

Over half of the enrolled doctors will not charge extra in addition to the Government's subsidy, it added.

Furthermore, to improve vaccine coverage among schoolchildren, the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination School Outreach Programme has implemented special arrangements for the 2024-25 season.

Kindergartens and child-care centres can choose both injectable inactivated influenza vaccines (IIV) and live attenuated influenza vaccines (nasal vaccines) for the same or different outreach vaccination activities.

So far, 860 kindergartens and child-care centres have arranged vaccination activities for their schoolchildren. Among them, 246 schools will offer nasal vaccines, seven schools will offer both nasal vaccines and IIV, and the rest will offer IIV this year.

As a pilot scheme, nasal vaccines will also be provided to selected primary and secondary schools which indicated their preference earlier this year, the centre added.

It also mentioned that under the Residential Care Home Vaccination Programme, the Department of Health will deliver vaccines for free to care homes.

Visiting medical officers enrolled in the programme are invited by institutions to provide vaccination services to eligible residents. The subsidy will be $105 per dose.