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Following is a transcript of opening remarks made by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, on human swine flu vaccine at a stand-up media session at the West Wing lobby of Central Government Offices today (November 5):
I announce that today the Government has secured a supply of human swine flu H1N1 vaccine for Hong Kong, following completion of procurement procedures by tender today.
Sanofi Pasteur S.A. succeeded in the tendering exercise. The Government has placed an order for three million doses of vaccine at a price of HK$237 million.
This company is selected because their proposal meets our stringent requirements. We attach greatest importance to efficacy and safety. The unit price is HK$79, which is considered reasonable.
The first batch of vaccine totalling 500,000 doses will reach Hong Kong in mid-December. The remaining 2.5 million doses will arrive by batches in January.
By the end of December, we will provide free vaccination to five target groups of a combined total of about two million people. These groups are:
(a) healthcare workers;
(b) chronic patients and pregnant women;
(c) children aged from six months to under six years;
(d) Elderly aged 65 and above; and
(e) pig farmers and slaughterhouse workers.
Scientists worldwide also consider them high-risk groups who should be vaccinated.
We will also provide the vaccine to private doctors at cost including administrative cost. Those who do not belong to the target groups may seek vaccination from them at their own cost.
For dosage, those who are aged 10 or above require one dose; others aged below 10 require 2 doses. Babies less than six months old do not need the vaccination. Two doses should be administered one month apart.
The vaccination programme is a voluntary scheme. Details will be announced later this month.
Over the past few weeks, many countries have started their own human swine flu vaccination programme. According to the World Health Organization, there is no unusual adverse effect observed and human swine flu vaccine has the same risk comparable to that of seasonal flu vaccine. As such, I would like to appeal to the target groups to take the vaccination to protect them from human swine flu.
Ends/Thursday, November 5, 2009
Issued at HKT 19:31
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