Editorial | Hong Kong can’t let guard down amid threat of overlapping flu seasons
Residents should heed health officials’ advice and get vaccinated to protect themselves and the community
Professor Lau Yu-lung, chairman of the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases under the Centre for Health Protection, said recently that the effects of global warming could have set the city up for a challenging overlap of flu seasons.
He said sufficient “public hygiene measures and vaccination rates”, especially among vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly, could change the trajectory. Efforts to bring down costs and widen vaccination options could help. From next Thursday, the government’s 2025-26 seasonal flu vaccination programme will offer eligible high-risk groups subsidised vaccinations, including two inactivated jabs, a recombinant shot and a nasal spray.
Last year, coverage rates were high and officials noted a drop in serious cases and outbreaks. However, flu and other respiratory illnesses such as Covid-19 remain threats, especially for people with underlying conditions. With no let-up in flu seasons this year, there is no room for vaccine complacency.