Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau on Monday said pregnant women who intend to take part in the government’s seasonal influenza vaccination programme can opt for the Sanofi vaccine.

He made the comment after the Centre for Health Protection announced it's including the mainland-manufactured Sinovac vaccine in the upcoming seasonal flu jab programme, which offers free or subsidized shots to eligible groups like children, pregnant women and the elderly.

Lo said since there is insufficient clinical data for Sinovac on expecting mothers, mums-to-be can choose to take the alternative Sanofi vaccine instead.

He advised those who prefer the Sinovac jab to consult a doctor.

“Pregnancy is not a contraindication for [the Sinovac] vaccine," Lo said, after receiving a shot himself.

"But because it's not included in the indication, we would advise that any pregnant lady should actually have a consultation with the doctors.”

The government has procured approximately 1.3 million doses of influenza vaccines in total, including around 300,000 doses of Sinovac shots.

Lo explained that there's a need to ensure a sufficient supply of vaccines to meet a rising demand.

“This is actually a very important strategy when we're deciding on mass procurement for the benefit of a situation like the seasonal flu," Lo said.

"There is a specific time limit for this, and we have to ensure that we have a diversified source to make sure that we have adequate supply of this vaccine within that specified time.”