The Department of Health (DH) today (February 28) is investigating an information system incident involving the influenza and pneumococcal vaccination records in its Clinical Information Management System. Due to a computer programme problem in transmitting vaccination records, such records of some vaccine recipients could not be displayed. The DH has immediately suspended the operation of the affected vaccination record system to rectify the problem.
 
     Launched in August last year, the vaccination record system was developed to facilitate access to the influenza and pneumococcal vaccination records of members of the public among DH, Hospital Authority (HA) and private doctors enrolled in the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (VSS). The DH received a notification by HA on February 26 concerning an inconsistency of vaccination status shown in the vaccination record system. Upon investigation by the DH, a computer programme problem has been identified and the influenza and pneumococcal vaccination records of the public at some DH's clinics could not be shown to HA and private doctors enrolled in the VSS.
 
     After reviewing all the information in the vaccination record system by DH and HA, records of 47 persons show that they have received two doses of the same vaccine in the 2018/19 season. Among them, 21 were patients at HA and 26 were members of the public using the VSS. The DH has immediately contacted the 47 affected persons on the incident.
 
     The DH attaches great concern to this incident and apologises to those affected persons. The DH emphasizes that the incident did not pose risk of leakage of personal information or downloading of personal data by unauthorised persons, and that services of sharing vaccination records with the Electronic Health Record Sharing System have not been affected. The DH and HA have checked all the records in the system and the computer programme has already been fixed. Transmission of vaccination records has resumed normal from 3pm today. The DH will continue to closely monitor the operation of the system to avoid the recurrence of similar incidents in future.
 
     If members of the public wish to enquire about further details of the incident, they may contact the Vaccination Office of the Centre for Health Protection of the DH at 2125 2125 during office hours.

Ends/Thursday, February 28, 2019
Issued at HKT 20:41

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