Hong Kong minister urges schools to join flu jab drive after child hospitalised

Hong Kong’s health minister has stepped up pressure on schools to join the city’s flu jab drive, highlighting the case of an unvaccinated four-year-old child who has been admitted to an intensive care unit with influenza and a pneumococcal infection.

The minister’s move on Saturday coincided with a warning from the chief of the city’s public hospitals, who said the number of patients visiting emergency departments had surged to more than 5,000 a day while authorities were boosting staffing to tackle the peak period expected after Lunar New Year.

Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said the child’s school had not arranged for on-site flu vaccinations offered by health authorities, arguing institutions had no justifiable reason to opt out of the government scheme.

He added that the programme offered vaccination to schools free of charge, including the nasal vaccines especially for young children.

“The child did not receive the flu shot and the child’s school did not join the [government’s] flu vaccination programme,” he said on a radio programme.

Lo warned that six children died during last year’s flu season and had been among 35 severe cases admitted to hospital.

The minister said the latest data showed the public hospital admission rate for influenza cases had already exceeded the flu season threshold.