Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ6: Influenza Vaccination Subsidy Scheme

Following is a question by the Hon Abraham Shek and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (April 1):

Question:

The Department of Health introduced the Influenza Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (IVSS) in November last year. It has been reported that up to the end of January this year, a total of 85,000 children had received influenza vaccinations, accounting for only 28% of the 300,000 eligible children. Moreover, a survey revealed that 41% of the parents interviewed did not know how to use the services under IVSS, 30% considered it unnecessary for their children to get vaccinated, and quite a number of parents did not let their children receive vaccination because they were concerned about the side effects of the vaccine. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it will continue to implement IVSS which ended on March 31 this year, given that the Secretary for Food and Health has pointed out that the influenza seasons are January to April and July to August this year, and that the coverage of IVSS is on the low side; if it will not, of the reasons for that; if it will, the details of that, and whether it will consider providing free vaccinations in public hospitals or public out-patient clinics, or sending personnel to schools to administer free vaccinations to children; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

The Department of Health (DH) introduced the Influenza Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (IVSS) in November 2008 to provide subsidy to encourage young children to receive influenza vaccinations from private doctors. As at March 23, 2009, applications for subsidy for over 140,000 injections of influenza vaccine, which include the first and second injections, have been received. According to the statistical information, over 80,000 children have received subsidised influenza vaccinations among the 140,000 applications. In other words, the coverage rate of IVSS has exceeded 26%. The Scheme lasted till end of March and the final coverage rate will be released after compilation. According to the experience of western countries, the coverage rate of influenza vaccination for children normally ranges between 20% and 40%.

Hong Kong's winter influenza peak season usually falls between January and March and the number of influenza cases has started to drop since mid-March this year. The vaccinations provided under IVSS are mainly for the winter influenza peak season. As it takes about two weeks for the immunity to develop after vaccination, DH launched the IVSS in November last year and encouraged vaccination before the winter influenza peak season. This served to ensure adequate immunity against influenza infection during the winter influenza peak season. Children who have never received a two-dose regimen of influenza vaccine are recommended to have two doses of influenza vaccine with a minimum interval of four weeks. The provision of subsidy for the first dose of influenza vaccine under IVSS ended on March 31 this year. For children who have received the first dose of influenza vaccine on or before March 31, the Government will provide subsidy for the second dose of influenza vaccine until May 31. The IVSS will become a long-term measure in an effort to lower the rate of hospitalisation of children as a result of influenza infection.

The objective of IVSS is to provide partial subsidy to the general public under a new funding model with a view to allowing them to choose their own private healthcare service providers under the concept of "money follows patient". In addition, the Scheme is a co-operative arrangement between the Government and private doctors, thereby promoting the participation of private doctors in the provision of preventive healthcare and is in line with the Government's policy direction of establishing a family doctor system. At present, over 1,200 doctors have enrolled in the IVSS to provide influenza vaccination service to young children in a total of some 1,500 clinics located across the territory. Under the policy direction of promoting public-private partnership, IVSS's operation is satisfactory and provides convenient choices of service for parents. As regards public hospitals or public out-patient clinics, the Government Influenza Vaccination Programme currently provides free vaccination to eight target groups including children between the age of six months and less than six years from families receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance.


Ends/Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Issued at HKT 12:22

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