LCQ12: Human papillomavirus vaccination
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Question:
Since the 2019-2020 school year, the Department of Health (DH) has provided free human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination (also known as "cervical cancer vaccination") to eligible Primary Five school girls under the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme through school outreach vaccination service to help them prevent cervical cancer. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether there were delays in DH's arrangement of school outreach service for female students to receive HPV vaccination during the period of class suspension amid the COVID-19 epidemic; if so, of the details and the corresponding measures;
(2) of the respective coverage rates of the first and second doses of HPV vaccination for Primary Five and Six female students in Hong Kong as at June this year; and
(3) as the Government indicated in January this year that a one-off catch up programme was under planning, in which mop-up HPV vaccination would be arranged for secondary school female students or older girls (i.e. 18 years old or below), of the details and timetable of the programme?
Reply:
President,
According to the recommendations of the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases (SCVPD) and the Scientific Committee on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections under the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) in mid-2018, the Government, starting from the 2019/20 school year, introduced free human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to school girls of particular age groups as a public health strategy for prevention of cervical cancer.
Subsequently, the Government promulgated the Hong Kong Cancer Strategy in July 2019 with a view to reducing the cancer burden of the local population and improving the quality of life and survivorship of cancer patients through setting work priorities and directions. Phased outcomes in the relevant aspects, including the interim target of 70 per cent coverage for completion of two doses of HPV vaccination among the first cohort of eligible school girls, are expected to be achieved by 2025.
The reply, in consultation with the DH, to the questions raised by the Dr Hon David Lam is as follows:
(1) and (2) Starting from the 2019/20 school year, the DH has provided HPV vaccination to Primary 5 and 6 school girls under the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme (HKCIP) to prevent cervical cancer. The School Immunisation Teams (SITs) under the CHP provide the first dose to Primary 5 female students at their schools, and the second dose will be given to them when they reach Primary 6 in the following school year.
In the past three years, during the suspension of face-to-face classes in schools as affected by the COVID-19, the SITs flexibly adjusted its school outreach resources and arranged primary school students to receive vaccines under the HKCIP, including the HPV vaccine, in the six sub-district offices of the DH. To meet service demand, the operation hours of these sub-district offices were extended and the daily quota for vaccination was increased so as to ensure the students could receive timely vaccination under the HKCIP. The SITs also sent letters to schools via the Education Bureau, together with short messages and telephone contact with the parents of the students who had yet to complete the vaccination under the HKCIP, to arrange mop-up vaccination at the sub-district offices. At the same time, the Student Health Service of the DH would check the vaccination record of the secondary school students who have joined the student health service, and arrange mop-up vaccination for those who are eligible to receive free HPV vaccination since 2019/20 school year under the aforesaid HKCIP but have not yet completed the relevant vaccination.
As at June 2023, the coverage rates of HPV vaccination for school girls in Primary 5 and 6 is tabulated below. They all meet the interim target of 70 per cent coverage for completion of HPV vaccination of the school girls set by the Hong Kong Cancer Strategy.
| 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 (Note) | |
| Primary 5 ]¡ first dosage^¡ |
87% | 88% | 89% | 91% |
| Primary 6 ]¡ second dosage^¡ |
N.A. | 86% | 89% | 86% |
(3) In November 2022, upon reviewing the relevant overseas and local scientific evidence on HPV vaccination, recommendations from the World Health Organization and overseas practices, the SCVPD recommended the Government to provide mop-up HPV vaccination for all secondary school female students or older girls (18 years or below). In response to the recommendation of the SCVPD, the Government is formulating the implementation arrangements for the vaccination programme and details would be announced in due course.
Ends/Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Issued at HKT 15:00
Issued at HKT 15:00
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