HKTE Delegation Promotes Hong Kong's Talent and I&T Opportunities at HICOOL 2026 Global Entrepreneurs Summit in Beijing

HKTE attends entrepreneurs summit in Beijing to engage with global entrepreneurial innovation and technology talent

The Director of Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE), Mr Felix Chan, led a delegation to Beijing from August 26 to 29 to attend the HICOOL 2026 Global Entrepreneurs Summit, and engage with representatives of Chinese Mainland governments as well as entrepreneurial innovation and technology (I&T) talent from the Mainland and overseas participating in the Summit.

At the Summit, Mr Chan exchanged views with government officials of Beijing, guests of the Summit and representatives of participating organisations. He also delivered keynote speeches at two forums to introduce Hong Kong's unique advantage of being connected to both the Mainland and the world under the "one country, two systems" principle, the I&T landscape and development opportunities in the Northern Metropolis, and measures to promote regional talent exchanges and co-operation. These efforts are able to bring together global high-calibre talent, and inject new impetus into the development of key I&T industries in Hong Kong and the country.

HKTE organised a seminar with representatives from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Office of the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, the Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing, the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency and the FinTech Association of Hong Kong, as well as an environmental, social and governance (ESG) expert to introduce Hong Kong's opportunities in talent, I&T, financial technology, ESG and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. HKTE also operated a booth to introduce Hong Kong's talent admission schemes and talent support services.

Mr Chan said, "HKTE's participation in the Summit aims to engage directly with entrepreneurs, research talent and innovation teams from the Mainland and overseas, and promote Hong Kong's development opportunities and various talent attraction measures, with a view to attracting them to pursue development in Hong Kong. HKTE also exchanges views with other participating Chinese Mainland cities on building platforms for attracting talent, thereby supporting Hong Kong in building an international hub for high-calibre talent."

The Director of Hong Kong Talent Engage, Mr Felix Chan, led a delegation to Beijing August 26 to 29 and participated in the HICOOL 2026 Global Entrepreneurs Summit. Photo shows Mr Chan introducing Hong Kong's distinct advantages and development opportunities at the summit. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Director of Hong Kong Talent Engage, Mr Felix Chan, led a delegation to Beijing August 26 to 29 and participated in the HICOOL 2026 Global Entrepreneurs Summit. Photo shows speakers of a panel discussion at the summit (from left): the Chairman of China Smarter Energy Group Holdings Limited, Mr Chen Xiaxuan; Deputy Head of Business and Talent Attraction / Investment Promotion of the Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing Ms Gracie Zhao; the Acting Deputy Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Ms Cathy Li; the Head of Human Capital Development of the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency, Mr Andy Fung; and Board Member of the FinTech Association of Hong Kong Ms Steffanie Yuen. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Director of Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE), Mr Felix Chan, led a delegation to Beijing August 26 to 29 and participated in the HICOOL 2026 Global Entrepreneurs Summit. Photo shows the HKTE team engaging with talent and responding to enquiries at the booth. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Director of Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE), Mr Felix Chan, led a delegation to Beijing August 26 to 29 and participated in the HICOOL 2026 Global Entrepreneurs Summit. Photo shows the booth set up by HKTE at the Summit. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Director of Hong Kong Talent Engage, Mr Felix Chan, led a delegation to Beijing August 26 to 29 and participated in the HICOOL 2026 Global Entrepreneurs Summit. Photo shows Mr Chan introducing Hong Kong's distinct advantages and development opportunities at the summit. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Programmes to commence on September 17 - Get vaccinated early to build immunity barrier to protect yourself and your family

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) announced today (August 31) that the 2026/27 Seasonal Influenza Vaccination (SIV) Programmes, including the SIV School Outreach Programme (SIVSOP), the Residential Care Home Vaccination Programme and the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (VSS), will commence on September 17. Eligible persons can receive free or subsidised vaccinations through the SIV Programmes. As Hong Kong is currently in an influenza season and the new school year will soon begin, the CHP urged the public, particularly target groups, to receive SIVs as soon as possible after the SIV Programmes begin to safeguard their own health and that of their families.

Influenza activity in Hong Kong remains at a relatively high level

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"Hong Kong entered the influenza season in late June and influenza activity continued to rise from July through mid-August. According to the latest surveillance data, influenza activity remains high. Owing to influenza transmission in the community in recent months and the substantial rise in infections, the number of severe cases has increased accordingly. We anticipate that influenza activity will remain at a high level during the initial period of the new school year, with possible influenza outbreaks in schools. Therefore, schools and parents must remain vigilant and take preventive measures. So far the severe cases in this influenza season primarily affect the elderly and children. A total of 11 severe paediatric cases have been recorded. Among these cases, six patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital, one patient is in stable condition, one is in serious condition, two are in critical condition and one has passed away.The overall situation in the current influenza season is comparable to that of previous influenza seasons, and we must keep vigilant," said the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui.

"The influenza viruses currently circulating in Hong Kong are mainly influenza A (H1), followed by influenza A (H3). The Public Health Laboratory Services Branch under the CHP has conducted viral genetic analyses of influenza cases and confirmed that the predominant influenza virus strains are similar to those circulating in other regions of the world, with no evidence of causing a more severe illness or resistance to antiviral drugs so far. The four types of vaccines procured by the Government are seasonal influenza vaccines with compositions recommended by the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases under the CHP and the World Health Organization for the 2026/27 northern hemisphere influenza season. The CHP will continue to monitor the circulating virus strains in Hong Kong and the protective efficacy of SIV," he added.

Data from last season confirmed a significantly higher risk of severe illness or death among unvaccinated persons

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Over 2.03 million doses of vaccines were administered under the various SIV Programmes in the previous year (2025/26), with overall coverage rates of the target population remaining similar to those of the preceding year. Among children and adolescents, the SIV rate for persons aged six months to under 18 years currently reached 64.8 per cent, which is 13 percentage points higher than the average for the same period over the past three seasons (51.7 per cent). The vaccination rate for adolescents aged 12 to under 18 years reached 61.4 per cent, representing a substantial increase of 22.6 percentage points compared with the average for the same period over the past three seasons (38.8 per cent). Under the SIVSOP, more than 2 300 schools (representing 99 per cent of all schools) completed SIV outreach activities by the end of December 2025, up from 91 per cent in the preceding year. The number of doses of nasal spray vaccines (live attenuated influenza vaccine) administered also rose significantly, from 27 000 doses in 2024/25 to more than 48 000 doses in 2025/26, representing a nearly 80 per cent increase.

"The CHP conducted an in-depth analysis of the relationship between influenza-related serious cases and SIV during the influenza season from September to December last year. The data shows that the rate of severe complications or death after contracting seasonal influenza was about five times higher among unvaccinated children than among vaccinated children. Similarly, the rate of severe complications among residents aged 65 years or older living in residential care homes for elderly who did not receive the SIV last year was approximately four times higher than among vaccinated residents. SIV is undoubtedly one of the most effective ways to prevent serious cases of seasonal influenza and its complications. It can also reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death after infection," Dr Tsui said.

Continuous improvement to facilitate vaccination

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The Government has introduced a number of enhancement measures last year to promote SIV, which were generally well-received by the public and the healthcare sector. This year, the Government continues to optimise SIV services in order to further facilitate members of the public in receiving SIV:

• Making good use of eHealth

Starting from last year, eligible individuals aged 18 or above must register for eHealth to join the SIV Programmes or receive subsidised SIV. Members of public can make use of the eHealth mobile app to review their vaccination and personal health records for health self-management, and to facilitate continuity of care services by healthcare professionals. Members of the public who have yet to register for an eHealth account should do so as soon as possible.

• Optimising vaccine procurement arrangements

A stable vaccine supply is an important foundation for the successful implementation of the SIV Programmes. This year, through an enhanced procurement process, the Government has introduced different suppliers to provide seasonal influenza vaccines from different technology platforms. These comprise two inactivated influenza vaccines, one nasal spray vaccine and one recombinant influenza vaccine, so as to meet the vaccination needs of different age and risk groups. This diversified, non-single-supplier procurement approach helps mitigate supply-chain risks, ensure the reliability and sustainability of vaccine sources, and provide greater flexibility in vaccine use, with a view to encouraging uptake.

• Introducing new Electronic Consent Form feature to cover VSS and SIVSOP

The Government has introduced a new Electronic Consent Form (e-consent form) feature this year. Members of the public already registered for eHealth accounts can submit their e-consent forms via the eHealth mobile app starting from September 17, and get vaccinated afterwards at a private clinic joining the VSS, enabling a paperless experience.

Regarding the SIVSOP, the DH has held several online briefings for participating schools and medical professionals since early June to explain the details of the e-consent forms.Parents already registered with eHealth accounts can submit the e-consent forms for their children via the eHealth mobile app starting from August 17, well before the start of the school year. This new measure not only facilitates the public to join the SIV Programmes but also streamlines the administrative procedures for healthcare service providers and schools.

• Expanding the scale of the Pilot Scheme on Vaccine Procurement for Family Doctors (Pilot Scheme)

With the experience gained from the Pilot Scheme in 2025/26, the Government continues to implement the Pilot Scheme in 2026/27 to further enhance the stability of the vaccine supply in the private market. Strengthened measures to be launched this year include:

• increasing the number of influenza vaccine doses available for procurement by eligible doctors from 100 000 to 300 000;

• expanding the eligibility groups to include doctors who participate in the VSS and at least one other Government-subsidised primary healthcare programme (including the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme, the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme, the Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme, the Breast Cancer Screening Pilot Programme, and the General Outpatient Clinic Public-Private Partnership Programme); and

• streamlining the overall workflow arrangements and simplifying the administrative procedures for consenting to participate in the VSS.

• Co-operating with more units in promoting and arranging vaccination activities

The DH is actively collaborating with the District Councils and the District Services and Community Care Teams(Care Teams) to encourage the organisation of vaccination activities in the community. As of August 30, the District Councils and the Care Teams have planned over 100 outreach vaccination activities over the next two months. Furthermore, the CHP has also strengthened interdepartmental collaborations, including partnerships with the Social Welfare Department and the Hong Kong Housing Society to promote SIV outreach activities at district elderly community centres, neighbourhood elderly centres and elderly housing projects, with an aim of expanding the protection barrier in society.

Vaccination venues located territory-wide

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To facilitate members of the public in receiving vaccinations, the Government will continue to open all 29 Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs) under the DH for all children aged six months to under two years. The number of vaccination venues provided by the District Health Centres and District Health Centre Expresses and their service points under the Primary Healthcare Commission has increased from 25 to 45. In addition, 76 Family Medicine Clinics and 38 public hospitals under the Hospital Authority will also provide vaccination services.For the list of vaccination venues, please refer to the CHP'sVaccination Schemespage. Starting from 9am on September 14, parents/guardians of eligible children may book a vaccination appointment for their children at designated MCHCs via theonline booking system.

Furthermore, over 1 200 private doctors have participated in the VSS currently, providing services at over 1 900 service points across all districts in Hong Kong. For the list of VSS doctors, please visit apps.hcv.gov.hk/public/en/SPS/Search.

Dr Tsui reminded public that all people aged six months or above, except those with known contraindications, should receive SIV every year for personal protection. Those who have contracted influenza in the past few months should also get vaccinated. Hong Kong typically experiences an influenza season during the first quarter of every year. SIV provides a certain degree of cross-protection against different but related virus strains. It takes two weeks for the body to develop sufficient antibodies after receiving SIV. Therefore, members of the public should get vaccinated as early as possible. Eligible groups and public venues offering free SIVs are listed in the annex.

For more information on the SIV Programmes, please visit the Vaccination Schemes page or call the CHP hotline 2125 2125 during office hours.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) announced today (August 31) that the 2026/27 Seasonal Influenza Vaccination (SIV) Programmes, including the SIV School Outreach Programme, the Residential Care Home Vaccination Programme and the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme, will commence on September 17. Photo shows the Controller of the CHP of the DH, Dr Edwin Tsui (second right); the Commissioner for Primary Healthcare of the Health Bureau (HHB), Dr Pang Fei-chau (second left); the Assistant Director of the Strategic Purchasing Office of the HHB, Dr Christina Maw (first left); and the Chief Pharmacist of the DH, Mr Michael Yim (first right), before the press conference to announce the details. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases