Hong Kong (PRC SAR): Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009, Vaccines, vaccinations: news archive (until January 31, 2010)

[Giuseppe]

Hong Kong: Scientific Committees publish updated recommendations on human swine influenza vaccination (1/22/10)

Hong Kong: Scientific Committees publish updated recommendations on human swine influenza vaccination (1/22/10)

The Scientific Committees of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health (DH) published updated recommendations today (January 22) on the human swine influenza (HSI) vaccination in Hong Kong.

Further to a joint meeting of three Scientific Committees on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Vaccine Preventable Diseases, and Advanced Data Analysis and Disease Modelling on January 18, the target groups for HSI vaccination were reaffirmed as follows:

• health care workers;
• persons with chronic illnesses and pregnant women;
• children between the age of 6 months and less than 6 years;
• elderly persons aged 65 years or above; and
• pig farmers and slaughterhouse workers.

A DH spokesman said the Scientific Committees had reaffirmed their recommendations on the HSI vaccination after taking into account the latest scientific data including local disease epidemiology, international experience and World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations.

"For persons outside the target groups, the Scientific Committees considered that there were uncertainties in risk assessment and an inherent lack of knowledge about the second wave of HSI to arrive at a recommendation for mass vaccination of these persons," the spokesman said.

"These individuals may choose to receive HSI vaccination based on their own consideration."

Regarding the case of primary schoolchildren, the Scientific Committees examined local serology data which show that approximately half of the children have adequate antibody levels for HSI.

"This suggests that a substantial number of primary schoolchildren will already have immunity against HSI infection in the coming second wave.

At the present moment, the Scientific Committees do not regard primary schoolchildren as a special target group recommended for HSI vaccination," he said.

The Scientific Committees' recommendation is subject to review if and when new evidence becomes available.
-

View Original Article

[Giuseppe]

Hong Kong: CHP investigates case of intrauterine death (1/23/10)

Hong Kong: CHP investigates case of intrauterine death (1/23/10)

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health, through the surveillance system established since the launch of the human swine influenza (HSI) vaccination programme, today (January 23) received a report about a case of intrauterine death (IUD) involving a 33-year-old pregnant woman.

The woman is now staying at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in stable condition. The CHP's investigation showed that the woman was at 37 weeks of gestation. She was followed up by a private practitioner for this pregnancy. On January 19, she reported decreased foetal movement and was referred to QEH. Intrauterine death was confirmed. Gestational diabetes mellitus was also diagnosed during the admission. She had received an HSI vaccination at a Maternal and Child Health Centre on December 27, 2009. Investigations for common causes of IUD, including infection, genetic and metabolic disorders, are being carried out.

A CHP spokesman said that there is no medical evidence presently to suggest that the IUD was related to the HSI vaccination.

In Hong Kong, about 150 to 220 stillbirths are recorded every year.

According to international and local experience, the rate of stillbirth is about 0.3 to 0.5 percent of total deliveries. According to the World Health Organization, studies to date do not show harmful effects from the HSI vaccine with respect to pregnancy or a developing embryo or foetus. On the other hand, the chances of HSI-infected pregnant women requiring hospitalisation in intensive care units are 10 times higher than those of infected persons in the general population and the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks.

Cases of IUD following an HSI vaccination have also been recorded and monitored in overseas countries.

So far no causal relationship has been found between an HSI vaccination and IUD. The CHP will closely monitor the clinical progress and further laboratory results of this woman.
-

View Original Article

[Giuseppe]

Hong Kong: Overseas recommendations on human swine flu vaccination for pregnant women (1/26/10)

Hong Kong: Overseas recommendations on human swine flu vaccination for pregnant women (1/26/10)

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health has provided information on recommendations by Mainland and overseas public health authorities on human swine influenza (HSI) vaccination for pregnant women.

A spokesman for the CHP noted that pregnant women were classified as a target group for HSI vaccination by the World Health Organization (WHO), and health authorities in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Japan, Singapore and Mainland China.

"The WHO recommends that, when HSI vaccines become available, health authorities should consider making pregnant women a priority group for immunisation," the spokesman said.

According to the WHO, infected pregnant women have a 10 times higher likelihood of requiring admission to an Intensive Care Unit compared with the general population.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention listed pregnant women as a priority group for HSI vaccination because they are at higher risk of complications and vaccination can potentially provide protection for infants who cannot be vaccinated.

The spokesman noted that according to the European Medicines Agency's report, about 290,000 pregnant women across Europe had been vaccinated against human swine influenza and the number of pregnancy-related adverse events reported to date did not exceed what would be expected based on normal background rates in the absence of vaccination.

In Japan, pregnant women are considered to have a higher chance of developing severe diseases than healthy adults.

Therefore, they are regarded as a priority group with a view to preventing severe diseases.

So far, at least 80 million people worldwide have received HSI vaccination.

According to the WHO and countries that have already launched HSI vaccination programmes, the frequency of adverse reactions reported is well within the expected range for seasonal influenza vaccines.

More information about Mainland and overseas recommendations are annexed.

"In fact, the HSI vaccine will be incorporated into the seasonal influenza vaccine according to the WHO's recommended vaccine formulation for the 2010/11 influenza season for the Southern Hemisphere," the spokesman said.
-

View Original Article

[Giuseppe]

Hong Kong (PRC SAR): Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009, Vaccines, vaccinations: news archive (until January 31, 2010)

This thread contains an archive of the news and updates from Hong Kong PRC SAR about vaccines and vaccinations campaign, adverse events, etc until January 31 2010.