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為新一季流感季節作好防疫準備

政府上星期公佈「2016/17年度季節性流感疫苗接種計劃」的新安排，除往年獲資助的組別：6個月至未滿6歲、智障人士和所有65歲以上長者外，今年會新增為6歲至未滿12歲兒童和所有傷殘津貼受助人，提供免費或資助疫苗接種，以及為所有孕婦提供資助疫苗接種，以提高疫苗接種率。政府亦提高對所有合資格組別的資助額，由每劑季節性流感疫苗160元增至190元。

香港醫學會歡迎政府的有關安排，回應本會與社會的訴求。但我們同時希望作出以下提醒：

1.      香港醫學會認為市民到醫院或診所接種流感疫苗乃最適合的選擇。

2.      促請衞生署及相關部門加強對在非診所場地疫苗接種服務的指引作公眾宣傳，並密切監管此類社區服務的進行，加強巡查，例如提供服務的場地的清潔及適合度、疫苗在運送及儲存是否有確保其冷凍鏈、是否有足夠數目合資格或已受訓的醫護人員提供服務、有否安排註册醫生或由醫生親自指導已受訓人員提供疫苗接種、是否提供治療接種反應的設備及急救設備及確保參與的醫護人員中有曾接受急救訓練、如何處理醫療廢物及利器等。

3.      今年為選舉年，很多政黨或相關團體可能會透過安排免費或廉價疫苗接種服務以爭取支持。醫學會敦促政府要特別向公眾強調舉辦此類疫苗接種活動的安全守則及指引，並要求舉辦活動者嚴格遵守。

4.      政府亦要加強有關流感疾病和疫苗的公眾教育，例如在學校課程中增加接種疫苗作疾病預防的資訊，及向市民解釋流感疫苗的安全性，加強他們的信心。

5.      呼籲所有公私營服務的醫護人員接種流感疫苗以確保個人的健康得到保障。

6.      香港醫學會促請政府及早將流感疫苗資助計劃延伸至肥胖人士(BMI >30)及醫護人員。

7.      雖然政府將資助額增加至每人190元，然而這資助額仍不足以抵銷大部份醫生為市民接種流感疫苗的成本(尚未計算今年的通脹)。去年，百分之八十的參與醫生在資助額以外收取50元或以上服務費。

8.      政府需確保本港能輸入足夠流感疫苗，以應付市民的需求。其實尚有一種流感疫苗選擇是現時香港沒有的，就是由鼻腔吸入的流感疫苗。此種疫苗與打針同等有效，2歲以上便可接種。好處是孩子可免除打針的恐懼。對2歲至12歲小童接種更為方便並能提高接種率，故我們要求政府考慮輸入此種疫苗。

現時，最有效的預防流感及其併發症的方法仍然是接種流感疫苗。接種疫苗後一般需要約兩星期時間，體內才會產生足夠抗體對抗流感。香港醫學會呼籲全港市民特別是高危群組人士及所有私營或公營醫護人員，謹記在冬季流感高峰期來臨前接種流感疫苗以確保個人的健康得到保障。市民可向家庭醫生查詢有關接種季節性流感疫苗的詳情。

二零一六年六月二十七日

編輯備忘：

香港醫學會成立於一九二零年，旨在聯繫政府、各公立醫療機構、大學及私人執業的醫務工作者，交流意見，團結一心。醫學會致力將最新的醫療資訊及醫務發展傳遞與會員，提倡會員遵行專業操守，進而服務社會，維護民康。

PRESS

RELEASE

27 June 2016

Well-Prepared for the Upcoming Flu Season

The Government announced the new measures of the “Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Programmes in 2016/17” last week.  In addition to the current subsidized groups, children aged 6 months to under 6 years old, persons with Intellectual Disability and all elderly aged 65 or above; the newly added groups including children aged 6 to under 12 years old and recipients of Disability Allowance who are eligible for free or subsidized vaccination.  Also, subsidized vaccination will be offered to all pregnant women, in order to increase the vaccination uptake rate.  The Government will also increase the subsidy for all eligible groups, from the existing $160 per dose to $190 per dose of the seasonal influenza vaccine.

The Hong Kong Medical Association (HKMA) welcomed the new measures by responding to the requests we and the public made.  The HKMA would like to remind on the following:

1. The Hong Kong Medical Association considered receiving influenza vaccination at hospital or clinic the most appropriate choice by the public.
2. To urge the Department of Health and related divisions on promoting the influenza vaccination services in non-clinic settings to the public and pay close monitoring and inspection on those community services.  To investigate the cleanliness and suitability of the venue on providing such service; whether the service provider has ensure the proper cold chain during delivering and storage; whether there are sufficient trained healthcare workers to provide the service; whether a registered doctor is arranged for administration/to supervise the trained healthcare workers for service administration; whether equipment for treating adverse drug reaction and first aid resuscitation equipment are provided and ensure of the involvement of healthcare workers who have received first aid training; and how the clinical waste will be handled, etc.   
3. This year is the Election Year, it is foreseeing that many political parties or related groups will offer free group vaccination services for the public in order to get more votes.  The HKMA would like to press the Government to emphasize to the public about the safety measures and guidelines by organizing such vaccination services, and to request the organizers to comply with the measures.  
4. The Government should raise the public education on influenza and vaccination, for instance, to include vaccination as a measure for disease prevention in the school syllabus.  More efforts should be made on explaining to the public of the safeness of vaccines to enhance their confidence.
5. All healthcare workers from both public and private sectors should get influenza vaccinations to protect themselves.
6. The Hong Kong Medical urges the Government to extend the subsidy scheme to cover persons with obesity (BMI>30) and healthcare workers as early as possible.
7. Although the subsidy amount per dose of the seasonal influenza vaccine has been increased to $190, this amount was insufficient to cover the cost of administering vaccines for the public of most enrolled doctors (without taking into account the inflation this year).  Last year, about 80% of the enrolled doctors charged $50 or above service fee on top of the $160 subsidy.
8. The Government should ensure there is sufficient supply of influenza vaccines to fulfil the demand.  Indeed, a type of nasal-spray influenza vaccine is an alternative, which is not available in Hong Kong currently.  This type of vaccine is as effective as injection.  Children aged 2 years old or above can be vaccinated and the fear of injection can be avoided.  It would be more convenient for children aged from 2 to 12 years old and update rate can be raised.  Thus we proposed to the Government to consider adopting this kind of vaccine.

Vaccination is still the most effective way to protect one from influenza infection and its complications. It normally takes about 2 weeks after vaccination for the body to develop a sufficient level of antibodies to protect against influenza infection. The HKMA once again advice all people, especially those fall into the priority groups and all healthcare workers of both private and public sectors, to take flu vaccinations before the winter flu season and maintain good personal hygiene as a protection of oneself against influenza.  The public can consult their family doctors for more information on influenza vaccination.

Notes to editors:

The Hong Kong Medical Association, founded in 1920, aims to bring together Hong Kong's government, institutional, university and private medical practitioners for an effective exchange of views and co-ordination of efforts.  The foremost objective of the Association is to safeguard and promote public health.  The Association speaks collectively for its members and aims to keep its members abreast of medical ethics, issues and advances around the world.  In fulfilling these goals, the association hopes to better serve the people of Hong Kong.