26 July 2012
A spokesman for the Department of Health (DH) announced today (July 26) that the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases (SC) under the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the DH has updated its recommendations on the use of seasonal influenza vaccine for the coming influenza season (2012/13).
As serious influenza infection can occur even in healthy individuals and influenza vaccines are safe and effective, all members of the public can consult their family doctors to receive seasonal influenza vaccination for personal protection.
The spokesman said the SC, after reviewing local and overseas scientific evidence regarding influenza vaccination, recommended that the following nine target groups, which are the same as those for last year, should receive influenza vaccination.
The nine priority target groups recommended for seasonal influenza vaccination in the 2012/13 season are:
* pregnant women;
* elderly persons living in residential care homes;
* long-stay residents of institutions for the disabled;
* persons aged 50 years or above;
* persons with chronic medical problems, including obesity (BMI equal to or more than 30);
* health-care workers;
* children aged 6 months to 5 years;
* poultry workers; and
* pig farmers and pig-slaughtering industry personnel.
The SC also recommended that vaccines to be used in the 2012/13 season (northern hemisphere winter) would comprise:
* A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)2009-like virus;
* A/Victoria/361/2011 (H3N2)-like virus, and
* B/Wisconsin/1/2010-like virus
The Government Vaccination Programme (GVP) and Vaccination Subsidy Scheme 2012/13 will continue to provide free and subsidised vaccination to the same target groups as last year. In addition, recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance who fall between the ages of 50 and 64 years or who are obese (BMI equal to or more than 30) are entitled to free vaccination under the GVP.
The full version of the SC's recommendations has been uploaded to the CHP website（ www.chp.gov.hk ）today.