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Over 500 private doctors are ready to provide influenza vaccinations to children aged between six months to less than six years under the Influenza Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (IVSS) which will last for five months starting from November 1, the Controller for the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health, Dr Thomas Tsang, said today (October 30).
Dr Tsang thanked the private medical sector for its enthusiastic response to the scheme. He said another 500-600 private doctors would join it by mid-November.
Dr Tsang appealed to private doctors who were interested in the IVSS and not yet enrolled to submit applications. The scheme will run until March 31 next year.
The scientific basis for introducing IVSS stemmed from the recommendation of CHP's Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Disease, Dr Tsang said.
The Committee recommended that children aged six months to less than six years should receive vaccination against influenza owing to their higher hospitalisation rate compared with the general population.
To help parents in choosing private doctors, information on participating doctors has been posted on an IVSS website (www.ivss.gov.hk). The information includes the names of the doctors, addresses and telephone numbers of their clinics, and fees charged for influenza vaccination.
Dr Tsang said participating doctors will display an IVSS logo at their clinics for identification.
"They will also put up in the clinics the fees charged for influenza vaccination service for public reference," he said.
He reminded parents who take their children to participating doctors for vaccination to bring along their children's identity documents (such as Hong Kong identity card or birth certificate) for verification of resident status.
"Parents need to fill in an authorisation form to the participating doctors to facilitate reimbursement arrangements.
"The forms are available at participating doctors' clinics, Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHC), or can be downloaded from the IVSS website (www.ivss.gov.hk)," Dr Tsang said.
Noting that some parents would ask relatives, friends or other representatives to take their children for vaccination, Dr Tsang said parents should fill in the authorisation form beforehand.
"The relative, friend or representative who takes the child for influenza vaccination will be required to produce the authorisation form completed and signed by the parent concerned when visiting participating doctors' clinics," Dr Tsang said.
Under the IVSS, children between the age of six months and less than six years possessing Hong Kong resident status are entitled to a government subsidy of $80 per dose of influenza vaccine received from enrolled private doctors.
Parents will have to pay the remaining fee after the $80 subsidy is discounted. Enrolled doctors will receive reimbursement from the Government.
Children aged six or above who are Hong Kong residents and attending kindergartens or child care centres can also receive the subsidy.
"For children aged six or above, parents are required to show documents, such as student handbooks, to prove their children's attendance at pre-primary institutions and provide a photocopy.
"Apart from student handbooks, they may also submit a completed and stamped Pre-primary Institution Certification Form from the kindergarten or child care centre. This form can also be downloaded from the IVSS website," Dr Tsang said.
Two doses of influenza vaccine are normally required for a child who has not received an influenza vaccination before, Dr Tsang noted.
The CHP has set up a hotline 2125 2125 to answer public enquiries on the scheme from 9am to 5.30pm on weekdays.
For children aged between six months and less than six years from families receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA), the Government will provide free flu vaccination service through the MCHC from November 3 this year to March 31 next year.
Parents should make a prior appointment with the MCHC at which their children are registered. They should bring along their childrenˇ¦s birth identity documents, immunisation record cards and the Certificate of CSSA Recipients (for Medical Waiver) when receiving free vaccination at the MCHC.
"Those who have not registered their children should make an appointment with a nearby MCHC before taking their children for vaccination," Dr Tsang said.
Dr Tsang said influenza vaccine has a long track record of safety and is usually well tolerated apart from occasional soreness, redness or swelling at the injection site.
"Some recipients may experience fever, muscle and joint pains, and tiredness beginning six to 12 hours after vaccination and lasting up to two days.
"Immediate severe allergic reactions like hives, swelling of the lips or tongue, and difficulties in breathing, are rare and require emergency consultation.
"Very rarely, it may be associated with serious adverse events such as Guillain-Barre syndrome (1 to 2 cases per million vaccines), meningitis or encephalopathy (1 in 3 million doses distributed) and severe allergic reaction (9 in 10 million doses distributed)," Dr Tsang said.
Dr Tsang called on parents to bring their children between six months and less than six years to get influenza vaccination during November and December.
"This will ensure that they get protection from influenza before the arrival of the influenza season next year," he said.
Ends/Thursday, October 30, 2008
Issued at HKT 18:16
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