Right jab: Hospital Authority Director (Quality & Safety) Dr Leung Pak-yin, Under Secretary for Food & Health Professor Gabriel Leung and Centre for Health Protection Controller Dr Thomas Tsang announce the human swine flu vaccination subsidy scheme.

Under Secretary for Food & Health Professor Gabriel Leung urges people from five groups to get human swine flu vaccinations when the Government subsidy programme launches December 21.

The two million people in the five target groups are chronic patients and pregnant women, children aged six months to six years, seniors aged 65 and above, healthcare workers, and workers in the pig trade.

Prof Leung said today priority will be given to these groups to receive the first batch of 500,000 doses.

"Human swine flu cases continue to be found all over the world and the situation in Hong Kong may become more serious with the arrival of the winter influenza peak.  People belonging to the target groups are urged to be vaccinated to reduce the chance of infection and safeguard their health," he said.

"Although there are reports of people feeling unwell after the human swine flu vaccination, abnormality has so far not been found. Receiving the vaccination is still safe and the public should not be over-worried."

Public hospitals, clinics and medical centres will provide free vaccinations to the target groups.

From December 28 chronic patients, pregnant women, children and the elderly can choose to receive the vaccination from private doctors who have joined the human swine flu vaccination subsidy scheme.

The Government will subsidise each dosage - $79 for the vaccine cost and $50 for the injection fee.

Centre for Health Protection Controller Dr Thomas Tsang said the addresses of the participating clinics and other information will be uploaded to the centre's website.