A vaccination program proposed by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government started here on Monday.

The program, named Government Influenza Vaccination Program ( GIVP) for 2007-08, will cover about 300,000 people in needy or high-risk categories. More than 60,000 elderly people living in more than 770 residential care homes will receive free influenza vaccinations from Monday to Nov. 30, followed by mop-up vaccinations until early 2008.

Hong Kong Secretary for Food and Health York Chow visited an elderly home in Shau Kei Wan Monday morning to see the implementation of the Influenza Vaccination Program in elderly homes.

"The program helps protect them from complications of influenza infection by immunization before the peak influenza season," he said.

The HKSAR government has been providing free vaccinations to all elderly living in residential care homes in Hong Kong since 1998. The program has been well received, with a coverage rate of 93 percent in 2006.

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