1 Nov 2010
The Controller of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH), Dr Thomas Tsang, visited an elderly home in Tsuen Wan today (November 1) to observe the implementation of the Government Vaccination Programme (GVP) in residential care homes (RCH).
Starting from today to March 31 next year, the Government will provide free seasonal influenza vaccination for people in nine target groups with reference to the recommendation of the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases (SCVPD) established under the CHP.
Apart from elderly people living in residential care homes, the following target groups will also be eligible for free influenza vaccination under GVP:
* Long-stay residents of institutions for the disabled;
* Elderly persons aged 65 years or above with chronic illness and followed up in public clinics, as well as those aged 65 years or above receiving CSSA;
* Persons under 65 years with chronic illness who are on CSSA, and some long-stay Hospital Authority (HA) in-patients who have chronic illness;
* Health care workers of DH, HA and other Government departments, as well as health care workers in elderly homes or institutions for the disabled;
* Children between the age of six months and less than six years from families receiving CSSA;
* All pregnant women receiving CSSA;
* Poultry workers or staff who may be involved in the poultry culling operations; and
* Pig farmers and pig-slaughtering industry personnel.
Dr Tsang said, "The objective of providing free influenza vaccination is to protect the elderly and other target groups from complications of influenza infection by immunisation before the arrival of the peak influenza season.”
In addition, free pneumococcal vaccine will be administered to those elderly persons aged 65 or above living in RCHs, with chronic illness and followed up in public clinics, or receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA), if they have not received the vaccination previously. Pneumococcal vaccination for the elderly runs continuously throughout the year and has no end-date.
Eligible persons may receive the vaccinations from DH or HA clinics. Residents and staff of RCHs for the Elderly and Disabled will receive free vaccinations in their institutions by private doctors enrolled as Visiting Medical Officers (VMOs) under the Residential Care Home Vaccination Programme (RVP), which is part of the GVP. The VMOs will be reimbursed at $50 per vaccine injection by the Government.
The DH has secured 300 000 doses of inactivated influenza vaccine and 35 000 doses of pneumococcal vaccine for GVP and RVP in 2010/11.
On the other hand, subsidised vaccination will be provided through private doctors to eligible children and elderly under the Childhood Influenza Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (CIVSS) and Elderly Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (EVSS) respectively.
Under the CIVSS, Hong Kong children aged between six months and less than six years (or attending a kindergarten or child care centre in Hong Kong) are each entitled to a subsidy of HK$80 for each dose of seasonal influenza vaccine received from enrolled private doctors, up to a maximum of two doses.
As for the Elderly Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (EVSS), Hong Kong residents reaching the age of 65 or above in the year of vaccination will be entitled to a HK$80 subsidy for each dose of influenza vaccine and $140 for each dose of pneumococcal vaccine. An extra $50 will be subsidised as injection cost per dose received from private doctors, i.e. a total subsidy of $130 for each influenza vaccination and $190 for each pneumococcal vaccination.
The period of seasonal influenza vaccination under the EVSS and CIVSS is also from November 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011 while pneumococcal vaccination for EVSS is on-going.
Dr Tsang called on eligible persons to receive vaccinations to protect their health.
The seasonal influenza vaccine this year is made according to World Health Organization recommendation. It contains vaccine components against three influenza subtypes, namely A(H1N1) (equivalent to human swine flu 2009), A(H3N2) and B. The WHO reiterated that more than 350 million doses of human swine flu vaccine had been administered globally and its safety profile is no different from the traditional seasonal influenza vaccine.
Addressing the issue of adverse events following immunization, Dr Tsang explained that medical conditions like Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS), spontaneous abortions and stillbirths occur naturally regardless of vaccination. For example, past statistics in Hong Kong show that up to eight cases of GBS occur each month during October and December, and some 150-220 stillbirths are recorded by DH each year. For this reason, some coincidental happenings of such events are expected to happen by chance as more people receive vaccinations. To help members of the public understand the situation, CHP is providing relevant background information and statistics on its website at www.chp.gov.hk .
During the first week of implementation, CHP will provide daily figures concerning seasonal influenza vaccination on its website at www.chp.gov.hk . CHP will also continue its routine mechanism for monitoring adverse events following immunization and make announcement if the frequency of such events exceeded baseline levels.
A telephone hotline (2125 2125) has been set up to answer public enquiries relating to the vaccination programmes and subsidy schemes during office hours. Members of the public may also obtain relevant information from the CHP website, www.chp.gov.hk .
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