The government has announced that seasonal influenza vaccination programs for the 2026-27 season will start a week earlier than usual, beginning September 17. This move aims to enhance early protection, particularly for students and other at-risk groups, amid concerns about increased flu transmission following the start of the academic year.
Dr. Edwin Tsui Lok-kin, controller of the Centre for Health Protection, highlighted that influenza activity remains present in August, though it has somewhat declined from its peak. He noted that as students return to school, the virus could spread more rapidly, potentially causing outbreaks. To mitigate this risk, authorities have encouraged early vaccination.
The government has adjusted its vaccine procurement strategy by diversifying suppliers and expanding administrative measures to facilitate earlier immunizations. The 2026-27 vaccination program includes vaccines from multiple manufacturers: injectable inactivated vaccines from Sanofi and Sinovac, nasal spray live attenuated vaccines from AstraZeneca, and injectable recombinant vaccines from Sanofi. A total of 1.3 million doses have been secured.
This year, the government reduced its order of Sanofi inactivated vaccines from 900,000 doses last year to 660,000, while increasing the number of Sinovac doses to 530,000 from 300,000 previously. The quantities of nasal spray and recombinant vaccines have also risen to about 60,000 doses each, up from 50,000 last year. Sanofi vaccines are expected to arrive in batches starting mid-October, whereas Sinovac vaccines have been available since late August, enabling earlier administration.
All procured vaccines are trivalent, protecting against three strains of influenza. The World Health Organization has recently advised that the Yamagata lineage of influenza B need not be included this season.
Administrative preparations have been enhanced through the implementation of electronic consent forms via the government’s eHealth platform, allowing schools to streamline vaccination processes ahead of the school year. In addition, a pilot scheme to assist private doctors in procuring government-contracted vaccines has been expanded. The supply of vaccines under this program has tripled to 300,000 doses, compared to 100,000 last year, and eligibility criteria were broadened to include doctors participating in the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (VSS) and at least one other government-subsidized primary healthcare program.
Dr. Christina Maw Kit-cheung, assistant director of the Health Bureau’s Strategic Purchasing Office, indicated that the government will assess the pilot scheme’s effectiveness based on demand and private-sector vaccine purchases before considering its permanent adoption.
According to recent government data, approximately 2.03 million influenza vaccines were administered during the 2025-26 season, a slight decrease from nearly 2.09 million the previous year. Coverage among children aged six months to two years improved to 27.4 percent, above the three-year moving average of 19.9 percent, but authorities aim to increase this further. Meanwhile, vaccination rates among residents aged 65 and older declined to 49.4 percent, slightly below the average of the prior three years.
Dr. Tsui emphasized the important role of healthcare providers in promoting vaccination, noting that direct recommendations during medical consultations remain one of the most effective strategies to increase uptake. The government plans to collaborate closely with doctors to encourage timely influenza immunizations across priority groups.