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The Government Vaccination Programme (GVP) 2012/13 will provide free influenza vaccination to eligible groups and persons in public hospitals, public clinics and residential care homes (RCHs) for the elderly and disabled from November 1.
A spokesman for the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) said today (October 30) that the GVP this year will cover:
* All pregnant women receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA);
* Elderly persons living in RCHs;
* Long-stay residents of institutions for the disabled;
* Persons aged 50 or above receiving CSSA;
* Persons aged 65 or above with chronic medical problems requiring follow-up in public clinics;
* Persons aged under 65 with chronic medical problems receiving CSSA and some long-stay in-patients of the Hospital Authority (HA) with chronic medical problems;
* Health-care workers of the DH, the HA, other Government departments, elderly homes or institutions for the disabled;
* Children between the age of 6 months and less than 6 years from families receiving CSSA;
* Poultry workers or staff who may be involved in poultry culling; and
* Pig farmers and pig-slaughtering industry personnel.
Eligible persons may receive vaccination from clinics or hospitals under the DH or the HA. Residents and staff of RCHs for the elderly and disabled will receive free vaccination in their institutions by private doctors enrolled as Visiting Medical Officers under the Residential Care Home Vaccination Programme.
In addition, free pneumococcal vaccines will be provided for residents living in RCHs for the elderly, residents aged 65 or above in RCHs for the disabled, elderly persons with chronic medical problems requiring follow-up in public clinics and elderly persons receiving CSSA who have never received the vaccine or have received one dose before the age of 65 but more than five years ago.
Meanwhile, subsidised vaccination has also been provided through private doctors to eligible children and elderly persons under the Childhood Influenza Vaccination Subsidy Scheme and the Elderly Vaccination Subsidy Scheme respectively. The Schemes for 2012/13 started on September 24.
The CHP spokesman encouraged the public to receive influenza vaccination early to gain protection before the arrival of the winter flu season. Health-care workers who are yet to receive the vaccination should also get vaccinated as soon as possible in order to protect themselves and their patients.
The CHP has set up a hotline (2125 2125) to answer public enquiries relating to the vaccination programmes during office hours. For the latest information on the vaccination programmes, the public may visit the website of the CHP (www.chp.gov.hk).
Ends/Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Issued at HKT 16:01
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