'Naming schools refusing flu jab drive is responsible'

Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau on Saturday said the government must inform parents about which schools are not offering on-site flu shots so they can plan to get their children vaccinated elsewhere. His comment came a day after the Department of Health named 168 schools that refused to take part in what is meant to be a voluntary on-campus vaccination programme. Speaking to reporters after attending a radio programme, Lo said the transparency isn't about damaging school reputations but about protecting children's health. "If the parents are not aware that their school does not offer the program, they will not be aware that they would need to bring their kids to a private clinic or whatever facility and arrange the vaccination for their own kids," he said. "We have the responsibility to inform the public and especially the parents. So it's not a matter of affecting the reputation of a certain school. I think this is a fact and we all have the same mission and that is to protect our kids especially in this winter flu season." The health chief also said that the winter influenza season has officially begun, with a four-year-old boy who didn't get a flu shot and whose school didn't offer vaccines, now in intensive care. Separately, Lo said elderly patients no longer need to wait in long queues outside dental clinics in cold weather with the new online appointment system. "We hope that at the age of 80, our elderly will still be able to retain their [teeth], at least have more than 20 teeth. That would save a lot of our resources in providing treatment for them," he said. Lo added that officials are planning to expand the student dental care programme to include both kindergarten and secondary students within this year.