A paediatrician has urged the government to add a new pneumococcus vaccine to its free universal immunisation programme for children and to also provide a subsidy for anyone aged over 50 to get vaccinated.

Mike Kwan, honorary clinical associate professor at the University of Hong Kong, told an RTHK programme that pneumococcal infections, which can cause pneumonia, were likely to rise in the SAR, and that he was "surprised" that the government currently only recommends vaccinations for children under two, and for the over-65s.

"In the past three years, the incidence of pneumococcus has not been very high in Hong Kong because of the mask-wearing and the social-distancing measures, but we expect that after the relaxation of the rules and a rise in flu cases, pneumococcus infections will also rise, especially among small children and elderly individuals," he said.

Dr Kwan added that awareness of pneumococcus in Hong Kong appears to be low and that relatively few people have come forward to be vaccinated against the infection.

"It seems surprising that although many families have small childrena and elderly relatives, they are still not aware of the pneumococcal infection," he said. "It's also surprising that the Centre for Health Protection only recommends vaccinations for people aged under 2 and over 65.

"The vaccine committee should introduce the vaccine to its free universal immunisation programme for children."

He added that the definition of "elderly" for the purposes of the vaccine should be extended to anyone over 50, and that a subsidy should be provided for this age group to get the vaccine.