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The Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases (SCVPD) under the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) today (April 28) released its recommendations for 2006/07 influenza season, recommending eight groups of people to receive vaccination against influenza.
The 2006/07 influenza season is expected to arrive during the first quarter of 2007. Influenza vaccines for the 2006/07 season will become available during the later months of 2006.
A CHP spokesman said the Government would study SCVPD¡¯s recommendations and take reference from them in planning the next Government Influenza Vaccination programme (GIVP).
¡°Details of the next GIVP will be announced once they are ready,¡± the spokesman said.
The SCVPD made the recommendations after carefully reviewing local and overseas scientific evidence regarding flu vaccination. The following groups of people were recommended to receive influenza vaccine for the 2006/07 flu season:
* Elderly people living in residential care homes;
* Long-stay residents of institutions for the disabled;
* Elderly people aged 65 years or above;
* People with chronic illnesses;
* Health care workers;
* Poultry workers;
* Children aged from 6 to 23 months;
* All pregnant women
The spokesman said the only change compared with last year was that for pregnant women.
¡°All pregnant women are recommended to receive influenza vaccination. The inactivated influenza vaccine is considered safe for use in pregnancy by the World Health Organization and there is no evidence indicating that the vaccine would induce developmental abnormalities in a fetus even if given during the first trimester of pregnancy.¡±
The spokesman said the CHP would send letters to all doctors informing them about the SCVPD recommendations. Private doctors are major providers of influenza vaccinations for the community.
He added that the success of flu vaccination required collaboration between the public and private medical sectors.
Ends/Friday, April 28, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:25
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