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Vaccine plan for children outdated, expert says

Hong Kong's child vaccination programme is badly outdated, putting the city far behind such places as the United States, said a medical expert who called on the government to revise it.

Ho Pak-leung, a University of Hong Kong microbiologist, criticised the government for not reviewing the programme since 1990.

"Between 1990 and 2008, no new vaccinations were added to the programme," he said.

The programme covers nine immunisations, against hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, tuberculosis, pertusis - or whooping cough - and rubella, also called German measles.



In the US, health authorities offer more than 20 vaccinations for children. Nine have been added in the past 18 years, including chickenpox, flu, hepatitis A, meningococcus (a common cause of sepsis and meningitis), rotavirus, Haemophilus influenzae B (which can cause severe pneumonia, meningitis and other diseases) and pneumococcus (which can cause a range of infections).

Dr Ho urged the government to revise its childhood vaccination programme, giving priority to vaccines against respiratory diseases.

"One reason is the public has generally recognised the importance of such vaccines to protect children, especially after the experiences of Sars and the bird-flu outbreak."

Vaccinations would help reduce the number of infections and ease pressure on public hospitals during the peak flu season, he said.

The number of flu cases usually doubled during the peak season, he said, adding that 80 per cent of flu cases in hospitals involved children under the age of five or the elderly aged above 65.

He said that of about 21,000 patients admitted to hospital with pneumonia each year, about half had bacterial pneumonia. And 3,000 were under five.

"The advantage of vaccinating children against respiratory diseases is that it is like setting up a firewall in the community. It can cut the spread of the disease in the community."

There were about 410,000 children below the age of eight in Hong Kong and the estimated cost of providing free vaccinations against flu and pneumococcal disease to them was about HK$82 million, Dr Ho said, adding that he believed it was affordable for the government.

Meanwhile, representatives from the Child Vaccine Concern Group, a local pressure group, complained to legislators about the poor state of Hong Kong's childhood immunisation programme.

The group's convenor, Lai Yan-piau, urged the government to include seven more vaccinations in the programme before July or August - the peak period - with priority going to immunisation against pneumococcal disease.

Among other vaccinations suggested for inclusion in the programme were influenza, chickenpox and hepatitis A.

"We hope the government can act before the next peak flu season. We are lagging behind so much. They [government] should act faster on providing free vaccinations to children, especially after the experience of the current flu outbreak," he said.


"Some low-income families may not be able to afford these vaccines ... but each of these vaccines is important to children."

The Legislative Council health services panel chairman, Li Kwok-ying, said it would discuss the issue at a meeting next month.