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The Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases (SCVPD) under the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health (DH) has recommended the use of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in the Childhood Immunisation Programme (CIP) of Hong Kong.
A DH spokesman said: "The SCVPD has concluded that PCV13 is preferable over PCV7 and PCV10 for use in the CIP after reviewing the immunogenicity and safety profile of PCV13, overseas experience and recent trends in local surveillance data.
"PCV13 has been registered in Hong Kong since 2010 for children below five years of age. It contains capsular antigens of 13 serotypes of pneumococci (1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F and 23F), in which serotype 3, 6A and 19A are not contained in any other formulation of PCV. No significant safety issue concerning PCV13 has been reported."
The latest data in 2010 shows that the difference in coverage of local circulating serotypes of pneumococci between PCV13 and that of PCV7/PCV10 is gradually becoming greater. Among children below five years of age with invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) in 2009, the proportion caused by serotypes covered by PCV7, PCV10 and PCV13 were 70%, 70% and 100% (assuming serotype 6B in PCV7 and PCV10 cross protects serotype 6A). This compares with the corresponding proportions of 47%, 47% and 93% in 2010.
PCV13 will be used as a direct replacement of PCV10. The immunisation schedule will remain unchanged, i.e. three primary doses at two, four and six months of age followed by one booster dose at 12 to 15 months.
Upon SCVPD's recommendation, DH will proceed with preparing tender and other contractual work to secure supplies of PCV13, which are expected to be ready by the end of 2011. Before then, PCV10 will continue to be used in the CIP, the spokesman said.
Between September 2009 and March 2011, over 86,000 children received PCV7/PCV10 in DH's Maternal and Child Care Centres under the CIP for children below two years old and over 79,000 children did so under the PCV catch-up programme, which ended on March 31 this year.
Pneumococcus bacterium often causes IPD in young children, such as chest infection, blood stream infection and meningitis.
According to the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch laboratory surveillance on IPD, the number of cases of IPD showed a considerable decline after the introduction of PCV into CIP.
As no pneumococcal vaccine covers all known serotypes of pneumococci, the spokesman reminded members of the public to observe personal and environmental hygiene to prevent infection. Most pneumococcal infections can be treated effectively with antibiotics.
Ends/Friday, April 15, 2011
Issued at HKT 15:05
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