The Department of Health (DH) today (December 23) announced that a new arrangement for measles vaccination under the DH's Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme (HKCIP) will be implemented from January 2, 2020.

     Children in Hong Kong are given the first dose of a combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine when they are 1 year old at the DH's Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs). Under the new arrangement, this will be followed by a second dose of a measles-containing vaccine (i.e. combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine) when they are 18 months old at MCHCs instead of receiving the vaccination at Primary One at school under the current practice.

     The new arrangement is applicable to children born on or after July 1, 2018. Those who were born before this date will continue to receive the vaccination concerned at Primary One via the School Immunisation Teams (SITs) of the DH through outreach visits to schools.

     After the implementation of the new measure, the DH will arrange for second doses of a measles-containing vaccine to children according to their date of birth. Detailed arrangements are as follows:

Children born on or after July 1, 2018
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     Those with scheduled appointments at 18 months old for receiving the diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis and inactivated poliovirus vaccine (booster dose) at MCHCs on or after January 2, 2020, will receive the MMRV vaccine on the same day.

Children born between January 1, 2013, and June 30, 2018
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     As in previous years, these children will receive the MMRV vaccine at Primary One via the SITs through outreach visits to schools.

     According to the recommendation of the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases (SCVPD) under the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the DH, the second dose of measles-containing vaccination could be advanced to 18 months of age. The SCVPD reviewed the local and global epidemiology of measles, overseas experience and relevant scientific evidence, and made the recommendation, which was adopted by the DH.

     The public may visit the HKCIP page of the DH's Family Health Service (www.fhs.gov.hk/english/main_ser/child_health/child_health_recommend.html), the CHP's measles page (www.chp.gov.hk/en/healthtopics/content/24/31.html) or the SCVPD's Recommendation on the Schedule of the Second Dose of Measles-containing Vaccine in Hong Kong (www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/recommendation_on_the_schedule_of_the_second_dose_of_measles_containing_vaccine_in_hong_kong.pdf) for more information.

Ends/Monday, December 23, 2019
Issued at HKT 11:00

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