Health authorities have piled pressure on more than 160 schools by publicly naming them for refusing to arrange on-campus influenza vaccinations for pupils, as they warned that Hong Kong has entered the flu season.
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Among those named by the Department of Health on Thursday were 11 of the 22 international schools operated by the English Schools Foundation (ESF), and a raft of private and subsidised elite institutions.
Some education-sector representatives argued that it might be unfair for authorities to publicly name and shame the schools without considering their reasons for not joining what was meant to be an optional drive.
Dr Edwin Tsui Lok-kin, controller of the Centre for Health Protection under the department, said on Thursday that the latest surveillance data showed Hong Kong had entered the flu season and he urged members of the public to get vaccinated.
“The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for seasonal influenza viruses is 5.69 per cent. The influenza admission rate in public hospitals is 0.36 cases per 10,000 population,” Tsui said, adding both figures had exceeded the threshold of 4.94 per cent and 0.27 cases per 10,000 population respectively, indicating the city had entered the flu season.
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Most of the positive tests – around 90 per cent – were for influenza A (H1), he added.