Influenza vaccination programme to start in November
12 October 2006
The Government Influenza Vaccination Programme (GIVP) for 2006/07 will start on November 6 this year.
The GIVP for this year is developed on the basis of the recommendations of the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases (SCVPD) established under the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH). It provides free influenza vaccinations to some of the target groups recommended by SCVPD. The following target groups will be covered:
- Elderly persons living in residential care homes;
- Long-stay residents of institutions for the disabled;
- Elderly persons aged 65 years or above with chronic illness attending follow up appointments in public clinics, or receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA);
- Persons aged under 65 years with chronic illness who are on CSSA, and some in-patients of the Hospital Authority(HA) who had 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;
- Poultry workers or staff who may be in contact with poultry in the poultry culling operations;
- Children aged from six to 23 months from families receiving CSSA;
- All pregnant women receiving CSSA.
People with chronic illness mainly refer to those who have chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic or renal diseases, persons who are immunocompromised, or children and adolescents (aged 6 months to 18 years) on long-term aspirin therapy.
A CHP spokesman said the programme will last until the end of the year. Some mop-up vaccinations are also expected in early 2007.
Target groups who are not covered by the GIVP should consult their family doctors, the spokesman said.
"DH has ordered 300 000 doses of vaccine for the coming GIVP, which is about 50 000 doses more than last year's programme. In addition, order for an extra 90 000 doses is being placed for contingency purpose," the spokesman said.
Recommended vaccines to be used in the 2006-07 season (Northern Hemisphere winter) contain:
- A/New Caledonia/20/99(H1N1)-like virus
- A/Wisconsin/67/2005(H3N2)-like virus
- B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like virus.
"The success of influenza vaccination in the community requires collaboration between the public and private sectors. In this regard, the CHP has been maintaining contact with all doctors since earlier this year about influenza vaccination arrangements for the coming season to allow sufficient time for planning and ordering of vaccines. Letters will also be sent to doctors this month," the spokesman said.
To prevent influenza and other respiratory tract infections, the public are advised to adopt a healthy lifestyle and adhere to the following health advice:
- To build up good body immunity by having a proper diet, regular exercise and adequate rest, reducing stress and avoiding smoking;
- To maintain good personal hygiene, and wash hands after sneezing, coughing and wear a mask when developing symptoms of respiratory infections;
- To maintain good ventilation;
- To avoid visiting crowded places with poor ventilation, especially during peak flu season.
The public may call upon the DH health education (pre-recorded) hotline at 2833 0111 for vaccination information. In addition, a telephone hotline 2575 2789 is set up to answer public enquiries on the Vaccination Programme during office hours. Information on influenza and influenza vaccine may also be accessed at the CHP's website: www.chp.gov.hk
End/Thursday, October 12, 2006
