CHP urges public to promptly receive seasonal influenza vaccination as another severe paediatric influenza infection case reported
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (January 18) recorded a severe paediatric influenza infection case. The CHP again reminded parents to arrange for their children to receive a free seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) promptly. The SIV remains one of the most effective methods of preventing influenza and its complications, and can reduce the risk of serious complications or death from infection.
The case involves a 14-year-old boy with underlying illness. He developed a fever, shortness of breath and productive cough since January 16. He sought medical attention at the Accident and Emergency Department of Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital on January 17 and was transferred to the paediatric intensive care unit for further management on the same day. He is currently in critical condition. His respiratory specimen tested positive for influenza A virus upon laboratory testing. The clinical diagnosis is influenza A infection complicated with severe pneumonia and septic shock.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the boy received the 2025/26 SIV only three days before onset of illness. As it generally takes two weeks for the body to develop sufficient protection after vaccination, the boy was not protected by the vaccine. Therefore, it is not counted as being vaccinated. The boy had no travel history during the incubation period. Two of his household contacts developed mild respiratory symptoms earlier. The nasal swab sample of one of the household contacts tested positive for influenza A virus via rapid antigen test. The symptoms were mild and hospitalisation was not required.
The summer influenza season just ended had recorded 25 severe paediatric influenza cases, including three fatal cases. The affected children were aged between 6 months to 17 years old. Among them, 20 cases (80 per cent) had not received an SIV (including one case who received the 2025/26 SIV only four days before onset of illness).
"The summer influenza season was ended. However, influenza activity may rise again as the weather remains cold in the first quarter of this year and it cannot be ruled out that the circulating virus strains may change as the winter influenza season approaches. Therefore, I once again urge all individuals aged 6 months or older, except those with known contraindications, to act promptly if they have not yet received an SIV. This includes those who contracted influenza during the summer influenza season in order to guard against other circulating virus strains that may emerge during the upcoming winter influenza season. Furthermore, although there are some antigenic differences between the currently circulating influenza A (H3) virus strain and the virus strain contained in the vaccine, scientific research indicates that this season's influenza vaccines can still offer protection against the variant strain of subclade K, as well as the influenza A (H1) and influenza B strains included in the vaccine," the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui, said.
"Although the influenza activity has declined to below the baseline level at the moment, outbreaks caused by influenza viruses still occurred in schools and residential care homes. For children who did not join the SIV School Outreach Programme, parents should promptly bring their children to private doctors enrolled in the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme to receive an SIV. In addition, the SIV coverage rate for children aged 6 months to under 2 years is only about 23 per cent. Although this represents an approximate 4 percentage point increase compared to the same period last year, it is still much lower than that of other age groups. Through the Primary Healthcare Commission, the CHP has urged family doctors to assist in encouraging parents to allow their children to receive an SIV," Dr Tsui added.
He also reminded members of the public that, especially for children, the elderly and those with underlying illnesses, they should seek medical advice promptly for early treatment if they present with fever and respiratory symptoms. As children with influenza can deteriorate rapidly, parents must pay close attention to their children's condition. They should go to an Accident and Emergency Department immediately if the child's condition deteriorates, for example, if they develop symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, blue lips, chest pain, confusion, a persistent fever or convulsions.
Separately, high-risk individuals should wear surgical masks when staying in crowded places. People with respiratory symptoms, even if mild, should wear a surgical mask and seek medical advice promptly. They should also consider whether to attend work or school.
In addition to issuing timely reminders to healthcare professionals and schools based on the latest seasonal influenza development, the CHP also uploads the latest seasonal influenza information on its website weekly. Members of the public can visit the CHP's seasonal influenza and COVID-19 & Flu Express webpages.
Source: AI-created image
Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, today (August 13) led a delegation to commence their visit to Hainan Province to meet with local health officials and visit the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone (Pilot Zone) in Hainan.
Professor Lo met with Deputy Director of the Hainan Medical Products Administration Mr Wang Gang in the morning, and highlighted the important measures put forward by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in the aspect of developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub.
Professor Lo said, "Hong Kong is proactively aligning with the direction of the National 15th Five-Year Plan and pressing ahead with the development of Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub by complementing technological innovation with institutional innovation. We are enhancing the regulatory standards for drugs and medical devices in Hong Kong on all fronts, including the implementation of the '1+' drug approval mechanism, the establishment of the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation within this year, and the implementation of the 'primary evaluation' mechanism for new drug registration since March this year. In addition, Hong Kong is actively taking forward the standardisation of clinical data in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with a view to expediting the registration and launch of innovative drugs and medical devices in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas markets."
At his subsequent meeting with the Director of the Health Commission of Hainan Province, Mr Li Wenxiu, the two sides had a detailed exchange on issues including the development of Chinese medicine (CM), the high-quality development of public hospitals, and information sharing on the prevention and control of diseases.
Professor Lo said, "The HKSAR Government has long been actively promoting the development of CM, including the release of the first Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint last year, and the commissioning of the two flagship projects for CM development, namely The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong and the permanent premises of the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute. These measures will further consolidate Hong Kong's role as a bridgehead for the global expansion of CM, to better serve and contribute to the overall national development of CM."
Regarding the high-quality development of public hospitals, Professor Lo emphasised that the HKSAR Government will continue to actively promote the accreditation of more public hospitals under the China's International Hospital Accreditation Standards (2021 Version), with a view to ensuring the management and healthcare quality of local hospitals are on par with international standards while demonstrating the excellence of the national healthcare standards to the international community, thereby facilitating the national standards to go global.
In the afternoon, the delegation visited the Boao Hope City Ever Lasting International Innovation Medicine Exhibition, Ruijin Hainan Hospital (Boao Research Hospital), affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine,and the Boao Yiling Life Care Centerlocated in the Pilot Zone, and met with the Chief Director of the Administration of the Pilot Zone, Mr Fu Sheng. Professor Lo said, "Serving as an important strategic node of the country's healthcare reform, the Pilot Zone is the only special medical zone on the Mainland benefitting from preferential policies. Focusing on introducing innovative drugs and medical devices from around the world and developing medical tourism, the Pilot Zone is a pioneer of the country's efforts to promote real-world data studies and a testing ground for major national projects of innovation in new drugs and healthcare technologies. Hainan Province's accumulated experience in areas such as the approval of drugs and medical devices for clinical use and the development of cross-boundary healthcare serves as a valuable reference for Hong Kong.
"Hong Kong and Hainan Province enjoy a close co-operative relationship. On the basis of complementarity and mutual benefits, we will further promote exchanges and mutual learning of experiences between the two places in the healthcare field, and jointly promote the development of 'Healthy China'."
Members of the delegation include the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam; the Senior Advisor (Secretary for Health's Office), Dr Joe Fan; the Director of the Real-World Study and Application Centre, Professor Cheung Ching-lung; as well as officers of the Health Bureau, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority. They will visit a local pharmaceutical enterprise tomorrow before returning to Hong Kong in the afternoon.
Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Secretary for Health leads delegation to commence visit to Hainan Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
