Doctors urge residents to get vaccines as soon as possible

The Hong Kong Medical Association on Monday says timely vaccination can protect individuals against influenza and its complications. The associations' comment comes ahead of the commencement of the government's seasonal flu vaccination programme on Thursday.

According to the Centre for Health Protection's surveillance data, influenza A remained the predominant flu virus in Hong Kong as of the end of August.

With the 2026/27 seasonal flu vaccination programmes about to start on Thursday, the Hong Kong Medical Association urges the public to get vaccinated early. While the vaccination rate among children and young people shows improvement in the last jab season, representing 64.8 and 61.4%, the rate of certain groups remain relatively low.

The association's council member Raymond Tso says "The vaccination uptake rate is lower between 50 and 64. I think the best person to really advise people to have the vaccination is their own family doctors or the doctors they are familiar with. It is easier for the doctors to advise for the vaccination or remind them for the vaccination so they are more prone to get the vaccination."

Noting that the vaccination programme will be launched earlier this year than before, the doctors say that's because the influenza peak differs each year, including the outbreak at the start of September.

"We cannot expect when it will have the next peak. Hopefully we can start having the vaccination and trying to help out the future for the winter surge."

The doctors point out that it takes about two weeks for antibodies to develop following the jabs, urging the public to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

{Doctors urge residents to get vaccines as soon as possible}