11 Sep 2009
The Auxiliary Medical Services (AMS) will put in place a set of new measures from Sunday (September 13) to improve the catch-up vaccination of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) for children at 29 Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs).
A spokesman for the Department of Health said that from Sunday, two separate counters would be set up in the MCHCs with more than five vaccination booths to provide syrup paracetamol (an anti-fever medicine) to children aged below 1 year and those aged 1 year and above.
"For the MCHCs with five or less vaccination booths, there will be one counter to dispense syrup paracetamol.
"Each counter will be manned by two designated AMS members. They will be responsible for checking the content of drug label against the age of children receiving the syrup," the spokesman said.
The syrup paracetamol given to children of the two different age groups will be put into plastic bottles with two different sizes to further minimise the chance of a mix-up.
The spokesman said preparation and concentration of syrup paracetamol was the same in all bottles. For children above the age of 1 year, the label prescribed one teaspoonful (5 ml, 125 mg) up to four times a day. For children aged under 1 year, the label prescribed half teaspoonful (2.5 ml, 62.5 mg) up to four times a day.
"Children need not take the drug if they have no fever after vaccination," the spokesman said.
He said PCV was considered an important part of the Childhood Immunisation Programme and he called upon every eligible baby to join.
In the past six months, the Department of Health has provided comprehensive training to AMS members who took part in the PCV vaccination programme.