The Centre for Health Protection today advised people to get vaccinated for protection as soon as possible given the recent increase in activity of seasonal influenza and COVID-19.

The centre highlighted that the latest surveillance data showed an increase in seasonal influenza activity from the low level over the past four weeks, while the overall activity level of COVID-19 has increased from the low level recently. Regarding COVID-19, the most predominant circulating strains in Hong Kong are JN.1.

The Government has provided free and subsidised seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) to eligible children, the elderly and other target groups through its various vaccination programmes. The response has been positive.

As of December 15, a total of about 1,745,000 doses of seasonal influenza vaccines have been administered under the various SIV programmes, up 5% over the same period last year, with particularly strong increases of 17% and 27% in the number of doses received by people aged between 50 and 64 and those aged between 12 and 18 respectively.

This year, special arrangements have been made under the SIV School Outreach Programme. Kindergartens and child care centres can choose to provide both injectable inactivated influenza vaccines and live attenuated influenza vaccines, ie nasal vaccines, at the same or different outreach vaccination activities.

The centre appealed to parents whose schools had not yet taken part in outreach SIV activities to arrange for their children to get vaccinated.

As of December 15, the SIV coverage rate for children aged six months to under two years was 16.4%, which was slightly higher than that of the same period last year but still lower than that of other age groups of children.

This year, service provider locations have also been optimised, with the Department of Health's (DH) Maternal & Child Health Centres (MCHCs) open to all children aged six months to under two years. Parents may book an appointment for their children online.

Additionally, as patients contracting both influenza and COVID-19 are more likely to develop serious complications and die, the centre strongly urges those who have not received the initial dose of COVID-19 vaccine, especially young children over six months and elderly people, to receive an initial dose as soon as possible.

All eligible people can make appointments online to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from Children Community Vaccination Centre, Private Clinic COVID-19 Community Vaccination Stations, designated general outpatient clinics under the Hospital Authority, or the DH's designated Student Health Service Centres, MCHCs and Elderly Health Centres.