Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases issues recommendations on seasonal influenza vaccinations for 2026-27 season
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (April 1) announced that its Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases (SCVPD) held a meeting earlier this week. After reviewing the latest scientific evidence, local and global epidemiological data, the latest recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and overseas practices, the SCVPD issued recommendations regarding the seasonal influenza vaccines and priority groups for seasonal influenza vaccinations (SIV) in Hong Kong during the 2026-27 influenza season.
The SCVPD recommended that the priority groups for SIV during the 2026-27 influenza season remain the same as in the previous season (2025-26), including health care workers, persons aged 50 years or above, pregnant women, residents of residential care homes, persons with chronic medical problems, children and adolescents aged 6 months to under 18 years, poultry workers, as well as pig farmers and pig-slaughtering industry personnel.
Regarding vaccine types, the SCVPD recommended that all locally registered trivalent seasonal influenza vaccines can be used during the 2026-27 influenza season, comprising the inactivated influenza vaccine, the live attenuated influenza vaccine (i.e. nasal vaccine) and the recombinant influenza vaccine. Moreover, the composition of the influenza virus strains to be used during the 2026-27 influenza season should align with the WHO's recommendations for the 2026-27 Northern Hemisphere influenza season.
Regarding the timing of vaccinations, the SCVPD recommended that the public receive SIV before the onset of the main influenza season. Based on local historical data, influenza activity generally remained at a relatively high level from January to April each year. Another peak of influenza activity also occurred around July or August in some years. Since vaccine manufacturers must wait for the WHO to announce its recommendations on virus strains for the Northern Hemisphere seasonal influenza vaccines in February or March each year before beginning production, the SCVPD considered that October or November is the most optimal time for vaccination.
Additionally, the SCVPD emphasised that establishing a comprehensive vaccination data system is crucial for assessing vaccination coverage and effectiveness among different population groups. Currently, the Government lacks comprehensive data on influenza vaccinations administered in the private sector at the public's own expense. The SCVPD recommended that the eHealth System (eHealth) be effectively utilised in the future. All healthcare professionals are encouraged to promptly update patients' vaccination records through eHealth to enable comprehensive integration of data on vaccinations administered to the public in both public and private healthcare institutions. This will help monitor vaccination rates and support public health management.
"The CHP conducted an in-depth analysis of the relationship between influenza-related serious complications and influenza vaccination during the 2025 summer influenza season. The data showed that the rate of severe complications or death after contracting seasonal influenza among children who did not receive the 2025-26 SIV was about five times that of vaccinated children. Similarly, the rate of severe complications among residents aged 65 years or above of residential care homes who did not receive the 2025-26 SIV was about four times that of vaccinated residents. These local data clearly demonstrate that SIV is the most effective way to prevent seasonal influenza and its complications. SIV can also reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death after infection. At the meeting, the experts reviewed the CHP's analysis and agreed that the data underscored the critical role of SIV in preventing serious complications and death," said the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui.
"All members of the public, in particular young children and older adults, should receive SIV annually for personal protection, unless they have known contraindications," he added.
Thanks to the joint efforts of all sectors of society, including the Government, the medical sector, schools, parents and institutions, as of March 29, over 2.01 million doses of vaccines had been administered under various SIV programmes in the year 2025-26. The coverage rates for the relevant target groups remain comparable to the same period last season. For the 2026-27 SIV programmes, the Government will continue to make every effort to assist the high-risk groups, especially infants, schoolchildren, those with underlying illnesses and the elderly, in receiving SIV.
Details of the SCVPD recommendations are available on the CHPwebsite.
Source: AI-found images
FEHD releases sixth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in March
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (April 1) released the sixth batch of gravidtrap indexes and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in March, covering 18 survey areas, as follows:
District |
Survey Area |
March 2026 |
First Phase Gravidtrap Index |
First Phase Density Index |
Islands |
Cheung Chau |
0.0% |
N/A |
Wong Tai Sin |
Wong Tai Sin West |
0.0% |
N/A |
Sai Kung |
Sai Kung Town |
0.0% |
N/A |
Kwai Tsing |
Lai King |
0.0% |
N/A |
Yuen Long |
Hung Shui Kiu and Ping Shan |
0.0% |
N/A |
District |
Survey Area |
March 2026 |
Area Gravidtrap Index |
Area Density Index |
Central and Western |
Kennedy Town and Shek Tong Tsui |
0.0% |
N/A |
Wan Chai |
Happy Valley and Tai Hang |
1.8% |
1.0 |
Islands |
Tung Chung |
0.0% |
N/A |
Kowloon City |
Ho Man Tin |
0.9% |
1.0 |
Kowloon Tong |
2.5% |
1.0 |
Sham Shui Po |
Cheung Sha Wan |
0.9% |
1.0 |
Sham Shui Po and Shek Kip Mei |
0.0% |
N/A |
Yau Tsim |
Tsim Sha Tsui and Yau Ma Tei |
0.0% |
N/A |
North |
Fanling South |
0.0% |
N/A |
Tai Po |
Tai Po East |
0.0% |
N/A |
Tsuen Wan |
Sheung Kwai Chung |
1.0% |
1.0 |
Tuen Mun |
Tuen Mun South |
0.9% |
1.0 |
Yuen Long |
Yuen Long Town |
0.0% |
N/A |
Among the sixth batch of First Phase Gravidtrap Indexes covering five survey areas and Area Gravidtrap Indexes covering 13 survey areas in March, most of the areas recorded 0 per cent, indicating that the distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes was not extensive.
The FEHD has so far released six batches of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in March 2026, covering 62 survey areas. Among these 62 survey areas, 47 recorded a decrease or remained unchanged as compared to the Area Gravidtrap Index last month (i.e. February 2026), representing that the areas' mosquito infestation improved or maintained a low level. Fifteen other areas recorded a slight increase, but the indexes were lower than 10 per cent.
The warm and humid weather of spring is favourable for mosquito breeding. Members of the public should strengthen prevention work against mosquito breeding before the rainy season, and eliminate potential mosquito breeding sites in advance, with a view to avoiding the nuisances caused by rapid mosquito breeding during the rainy season and reducing the risk of transmitting mosquito-borne diseases.
Public participation is crucial to the effective control of mosquito problems. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to work together in strengthening personal mosquito control measures, including:
tidy up their premises and check for any accumulation of water inside their premises;
remove all unnecessary water collections and eliminate the sources;
check household items (those placed in outdoor and open areas in particular), such as refuse containers, vases, air conditioner drip trays, and laundry racks to prevent stagnant water;
change water in flower vases and scrub their inner surfaces thoroughly, and remove water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week;
properly cover all containers that hold water to prevent mosquitoes from accessing the water;
properly dispose of articles that can contain water, such as disposable meal boxes and empty cans; and
scrub drains and surface sewers with alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.
Starting in August 2025, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD has been disseminating relevant information through press releases, its website and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of chikungunya fever (CF) transmission.
Following recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 62 survey areas of the community, with a surveillance period of two weeks. During the surveillance period, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks of surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The gravidtrap and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas, as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures, are available on the department's webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#).
Source: AI-found images
