The Hospital Authority (HA) has said eligible residents can receive free seasonal influenza vaccines at public hospitals and general out-patient clinics from Thursday.

The authority said they include public clinic patients who are aged 65 or above, paediatric outpatients with high-risk conditions, as well as certain CSSA recipients.

The programme, which will be implemented in phases, will then be expanded to cover more vulnerable groups later in the month.

Speaking at a press briefing, the consultant of Family Medicine and General Out-patient Clinics at the Kowloon Central Cluster, Ken Ho, said it is very important to get inoculated because the city will likely see a winter flu surge.

"During the Covid pandemic, the seasonal flu died down very fast because we were aware of our personal hygiene. After the pandemic, with the loosening of the infection control measures, we expect the trend of the seasonal flu to go back as before [the pandemic],” he said.

"That's why we have to be better prepared for the winter surge and also the summer surge next year."

Ho said people should get the shots between October and mid-November, ahead of the flu season that is expected to last from January to April next year.