Hong Kong health chief considers bringing flu vaccines to primary schools to fight virus
Dr Ko Wing-man reveals a plan to expand the government’s children’s vaccination subsidy scheme ahead of expected surge in flu cases
The government is considering expanding its childhood flu vaccination subsidy scheme to primary school students by inviting private doctors to administer flu jabs to students at school.
The plan came after children became more susceptible to the virus during this year’s flu season due to a change in the dominant virus strain from H3N2 to H1N1, yet fewer of them were receiving vaccines due to a “higher service charge”, according to the health department.
Speaking on Commercial Radio on Sunday, Ko said the best way to tackle the matter was to ask private doctors “to provide vaccines to children in schools through the vaccine subsidy scheme”. The health minister, noted, however, that the arrangement still needed to be discussed with schools.
It was understood the government was inclined to have doctors provide jabs in primary schools, as kindergarten students were thought too young to face the needle alone and often needed parental company.
At present, children aged from six months to under six years old were eligible to receive a subsidy of HK$160 per flu vaccine dose from private doctors enrolled in the scheme.
Ko said the uptake rate for the flu vaccine had increased more than 20 per cent this year, after the government introduced measures to extend the scheme.
Quality Healthcare, a private local medical group, also pledged to provide 5,000 free doses of flu vaccines to people aged 50 or older at seven of its designated clinics.
Meanwhile, as local temperatures during Easter were expected to dip to around 12 degrees, Ko said it was possible the city could see another spike in flu cases after a recent decline.
“Wards have been adding beds again and again, and now it is even more congested,” said Ko of the strain on local hospitals. “We have enhanced our measures by clearing out spaces in rehabilitation hospitals to receive stable patients from acute hospitals.”
