Civil Service Newsletter Issue 120

It’s time for the 2025/26 Influenza Vaccination Season

5 Types of Rest to Restore Balance in Your Body and Mind

Explanation of WCAG 2.0 Level Double-A Conformance

It’s time for the 2025/26 Influenza Vaccination Season

Department of Health

The local winter influenza season usually starts in January. With the weather expected to become cooler, it is anticipated that local seasonal influenza activity will increase by the end of this year. Seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) is one of the most effective means to prevent flu and its complications together with reduction in influenza-associated hospitalisation and death, and serious infection or complications can also occur among healthy individuals. Therefore, all persons aged 6 months or above, except those with known contraindications, are recommended to receive the SIV for personal protection.

The SIV Programmes for the 2025/26 season have commenced this year, further covering persons aged 18 to 49 with chronic medical problems. Eligible persons can receive free or subsidised SIV under the programmes. The eligibility criteria and recommended vaccination venues are as follows:

• Persons aged 50 years or above:
    ▪ General public: Vaccination by family doctors or District Health
      Centres (DHCs)
    ▪ Persons with chronic illness: Vaccination by public or private clinics
      providing regular follow-ups

• Persons aged 18 to 49 years with chronic illness or intellectual / physical
disability:
    ▪ Vaccination by family doctors, DHCs or public / private clinics
     providing regular follow-ups

• Children and adolescents aged 2 to under 18 years:
   ▪ General children: Vaccination through the Seasonal Influenza
   Vaccination School Outreach Programme or by family doctors
   ▪ Children with chronic illness: Vaccination by public or private
   clinics providing regular follow-ups

• Children aged 6 months to under 2 years:
Vaccination by family doctors or Maternal and Child Health Centres

• Pregnant women: Vaccination by family doctors, public, or private
  antenatal clinics

"Prevention is better than cure." Since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against influenza virus infection, it is advised to get vaccinated before the arrival of winter influenza season. The best time for vaccination is before winter starts. The earlier we get vaccinated, the better we can receive comprehensive protection against influenza in the coming year. The Department of Health calls on everyone to receive SIV and encourages colleagues and family members to get vaccinated together to protect the health of ourselves, our families, and the community.

For more details, please visit the webpage on SIV Programmes:

https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/107880.html