**********************************************************
The Department of Health will launch an updated Childhood Immunisation Programme starting February 1, 2007.
Speaking at a press conference today (December 13), Consultant of Community Medicine of the Centre for Health Protection(CHP) of the Department of Health, Dr Thomas Tsang said an injectable combination vaccine, DTaP-IPV, would be introduced in the updated programme.
Dr Tsang said the vaccine had a proven record of effectiveness against poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. It was more convenient to administer and had fewer side effects than the vaccines that it replaced in the programme.
Dr Tsang said the new vaccine, which had fewer side effects, was recommended by the CHP¡¯s Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases to replace the existing oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) and whole-cell pertussis (wP) vaccine with inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) and acellular pertussis (aP) respectively.
"Since poliomyelitis eradication has been achieved in the Western Pacific Region, it is time to introduce IPV to eliminate the risk of vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis which is a rare but serious complication of OPV."
"The new DTaP-IPV vaccine will have fewer side effects such as fever, local pain, redness, and swelling. Another reason for the change is that supplies of the currently used DTwP vaccine have become unstable," Dr Tsang said.
Under the new programme, the DTaP-IPV vaccine will be administered for all babies at the age of two months, four months, six months, 18 months and when they enter primary school.
Babies who have received existing OPV and wP vaccines can go on to complete their vaccinations with the new vaccine without restarting the schedule. The existing Type I OPV for new born babies is no longer necessary and will be discontinued. An additional acellular pertussis vaccine will be offered to primary one and primary six students for extra protection.
Another vaccine with reduced dosage of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis component will be introduced for primary six students in the next (2007-08) school year.
During the prevailing school year, the vaccines in the original schedule (OPV plus diphtheria and tetanus vaccine) will continue to be administered to primary six students.
Dr Tsang reminded parents to bring their children to healthcare providers for updated immunisation. They can also visit the department¡¯s maternal and child health centres for vaccination or consult their family doctors.
Latest information on the new CIP can be obtained from the department¡¯s Family Health Service website (http://www.fhs.gov.hk) or the CHP website (http://www.chp.gov.hk). Members of the public can also contact the 24-hour Health Education Hotline 2833 0111.
Ends/Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:16
NNNN