***********************************************************
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesperson of New Territories West Cluster made the following announcement today (November 29) regarding a medication incident at the General Out Patient Clinic in Madam Yung Fung Shee Health Centre in Yuen Long:
In reviewing medical records at the General Out Patient Clinic in Madam Yung Fung Shee Health Centre (the clinic) in Yuen Long under the New Territories West Cluster (NTWC) yesterday (November 28), a nurse discovered that seven patients had been wrongly given the 4-in-1 combined vaccines of diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid, pertussis and poliomyelitis (trade name: Tetraxim) from November 26 to 28. The seven patients were supposed to receive anti-tetanus (trade name: Tetavax) vaccination. The seven patients concerned include four males and three females aged 20 to 84.
The clinic reported the incident to the cluster management immediately. NTWC expressed great concern over the incident. The clinic today started to contact the seven affected patients for explanation and apology on the incident. Detailed check-ups will be arranged for them in the coming few days.
According to a microbiology specialist, the 4-in-1 combined vaccines concerned (diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid, pertussis and poliomyelitis) are normally delivered to infants and young children 6 years old or below in clinical aspects. Some adults may experience relatively obvious local reactions such as pain, redness or swelling after injection of this vaccine, but in general it would be gradually diminished after treatment. Nevertheless, the protection effectiveness and dosage between 4-in-1 combined vaccine and anti-tetanus are the same. Therefore, the seven patients concerned should have received the intended curative effects.
NTWC has reported the incident to the Hospital Authority Head Office through the Advance Incidents Reporting System. Staff have also been reminded of checking very carefully on the vaccine category before administration. NTWC will set up an investigation panel to follow up on the incident and to recommend improvement measures so as to avoid similar incidents in future.
Ends/Friday, November 29, 2013
Issued at HKT 20:40
NNNN
