Hong Kong urges parents to vaccinate young children as summer flu cases rise and hospitalisations increase

With a spike in summer flu cases and hospitalisations among children, Hong Kong health officials emphasise the importance of vaccination amid the ongoing outbreak, as authorities roll out the 2026/27 seasonal flu programme targeted at vulnerable groups.

Hong Kong health officials are urging parents to get young children vaccinated against influenza as the city moves deeper into its summer flu season, with doctors reporting a recent rise in child hospitalisations and some cases involving prolonged high fevers.

Mike Kwan, an honorary clinical associate professor in the University of Hong Kong’s Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, told Commercial Radio that the outbreak has not yet peaked. He said influenza can cause severe illness in children and argued that vaccination offers the strongest protection against serious complications.

The warning comes as the government prepares to launch its 2026/27 Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Programme on Thursday, with free shots available to eligible groups including children aged six months and older, pregnant women and older adults. The Centre for Health Protection said the programme will begin on September 17 and has encouraged families to arrange vaccinations promptly.

Official data show that influenza activity has climbed steadily since June. The Director of Health, Ronald Lam, said people seeking medical care or hospital treatment for flu has risen from 0.27 cases per 10,000 people in the same period last year to 0.83 this year, while laboratory positivity has edged up to 13 per cent. He said most infections are Influenza A H1, followed by H3, and that Hong Kong has recorded 19 serious paediatric flu cases this year, including one death. Lam said unvaccinated young children face more than five times the risk of severe illness, and the government has separately reported that vaccination coverage remains much lower among children aged six months to two years than among older children. According to public health officials, more than 99 per cent of schools have signed up for the seasonal vaccination outreach programme, as authorities expect flu activity to stay high in the coming weeks.