Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ17: Prevention and control of influenza
Following is a question by the Hon Starry Lee and a written reply by the
Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today
(February 18):
Question:
During the peak of the influenza season in March last year, the Government set
up an Expert Group to conduct an in-depth investigation into the deaths of three
children with acute febrile illnesses. The investigation report released in
April last year came up with 14 recommendations, including extension of the
recommended age range of childhood vaccination for influenza. Subsequently, the
Government launched the Influenza Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (IVSS) in November
last year to encourage influenza vaccination of Hong Kong children between the
age of six months and less than six years. It has been reported that up to end
of last month, the coverage rate of IVSS was less than 30%. In this connection,
will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the latest coverage rate of IVSS and what measures are in place to
encourage influenza vaccination of more eligible children;
(b) whether the Government will accept the remaining 13 recommendations made by
the Expert Group; if it will, of the details of and timetable for implementing
the recommendations; if not, the reasons for that; and
(c) whether it will issue guidelines on whether schools should suspend classes
in case of an influenza outbreak; if it will, of the details; if not, the
reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
(a) The Government introduced the Influenza Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (IVSS) in
November 2008 to provide subsidy to encourage young children to receive
influenza vaccinations from private doctors. To date, the Government has
received applications for subsidy for over 100,000 injections of influenza
vaccine, which include the first and second injections. The Scheme will last
till the end of March this year. As there is still a month to go and there will
be new applications during this period, the final coverage of IVSS will only be
known and publicised after March.
Since September 2008, the Government has been promoting the IVSS by different
means, including Announcements of Public Interest on television and radio, as
well as distribution of relevant information to medical practitioners, child
care centres, kindergartens, health services units and all Public Enquiry
Services Centres of the Home Affairs Department. In addition, the Department of
Health (DH) has visited and briefed the 18 District Councils on the IVSS and
organised two briefings. DH has also set up a dedicated website to provide
details of the Scheme and a hotline to answer public enquiries.
(b) DH and the Hospital Authority (HA) have already taken appropriate follow-up
actions on the remaining 13 recommendations made by the Investigation Panel in
relation to the acute febrile deaths in three children in early 2008. Details
are given in Annex.
(c) In times of influenza outbreaks, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP)
would consider advising the affected schools to suspend classes for a period of
time to control the outbreak, having regard to factors including the number of
affected persons, the number of severely ill persons, the number of persons
requiring hospitalisation, the progression of the outbreak, whether it is
responsive to control measures, etc. Details have been incorporated in the
updated Guidelines on Prevention of Communicable Diseases in
Schools/Kindergartens/Kindergartens-cum- Child Care Centres/Child Care Centres,
which have been sent to schools and uploaded onto the CHP's website for
reference by the general public (website:
http://www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/School_full_eng_20090115.pdf).
Ends/Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Issued at HKT 15:46
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