All local residents can get the government’s 2025-2026 seasonal influenza jabs free of charge from today, after they have been available for high-risk individuals free of charge since late September.
The Health Bureau (SSM) announced details of the arrangements for local residents to get their free jabs in a statement on Thursday night.
According to the statement, high-risk individuals can get their free jabs without an appointment, while other local residents in general are required to make a booking.
The high-risk individuals covered by the free influenza jabs, according to the statement, comprise local residents in six special categories and all individuals, including non-local residents, in four special categories.
The high-risk local residents in the six categories comprise those aged between six months and under 18 years; those aged 50 or above; pregnant or lactating women; those suffering from chronic diseases or obese persons, i.e., those with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or above; those employed by the city’s six gaming operators; and those in urgent need to travel outside Macau, the statement said.
The high-risk individuals, both local and non-local residents, in the four categories comprise students and teaching and other staff of creches, kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools and tertiary education institutions; service users and staff of residential care homes; all healthcare workers; and other personnel deemed necessary by the Health Bureau to be vaccinated such as those working in public entities.
According to the statement, all high-risk individuals can get their walk-in free jabs at one of the city’s public health centres or health stations, or the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre. High-risk individuals who are local residents can also choose to be vaccinated at the public Macao Union Hospital in Cotai, the private Kiang Wu Hospital, the University Hospital run by the private Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Taipa, or the clinic run by the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (commonly known as Gung Luen in Cantonese) near Praça do Tap Siac.
Other local residents in general, according to the statement, can book their free jabs at one of the city’s public health centres or health stations, Macao Union Hospital, Kiang Wu Hospital, MUST University Hospital, or the Gung Luen clinic near Praça do Tap Siac.
They can book their jabs through their Macao One Account, the bureau’s influenza vaccination appointment website (https://www.ssm.gov.mo/infrs), telephone, or by visiting one of the above-mentioned healthcare facilities providing the free influenza jabs, the statement said.
Meanwhile, the statement also said that since the bureau commenced its 2025-2026 seasonal influenza vaccinations for high-risk individuals on September 30, 122,000 people had been inoculated by Wednesday last week, a 14 percent increase from the 107,000 people to receive their 2024-2025 seasonal influenza jabs during the same period of last year.
This poster in Portuguese released by the Health Bureau (SSM) last week promotes the benefits of pregnant and lactating women’s vaccinations against influenza.
