Following is the transcript of remarks made by the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, after inspecting the implementation progress of the Government Vaccination Programme 2017/18 and receiving seasonal influenza vaccination at Shau Kei Wan Jockey Club General Out-patient Clinic today (October 30):

Reporter: Any indication ... on how long that's going to take (the discussions with the pharmaceutical company) and when, if it is safe for use in Hong Kong? When is it going to be able to help those rare disease, SMA (spinal muscular atrophy) patients?

Secretary for Food and Health: As I have said earlier, we have already contacted the pharmaceutical company that provides this drug for SMA patients. As far as the timing is concerned, further to my letter to the pharmaceutical company, the Hospital Authority and the Department of Health have already been in contact with them. They have agreed that they are going to exchange information on the safety, the efficacy and also effectiveness of the drug. Further to this analysis of the information, the Hospital Authority will continue to work very closely with the pharmaceutical company to move forward with the drug provision.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

Ends/Monday, October 30, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:31

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