Vaccination advice issued

March 15, 2021

Expert Committee on Clinical Events Assessment Following COVID-19 Immunisation Co-convenor Prof Ivan Hung:
With regards to people with cardiovascular disease, we have said (it) many times. In fact, for patients who have got very stable diseases (or) chronic illnesses including cardiovascular disease, they will be encouraged to receive the vaccination. We only refer to patients who have symptoms or have very poor control, for example, their hypertension is very poorly controlled or they have very poorly controlled diabetes, or they have ongoing symptoms for example, chest pain or shortness of breath on exertion. So (for) these patients we would suggest them to defer the vaccination until they have controlled their current illnesses, and then of course they could receive the vaccine afterwards.
And I think that for the current guidelines or the recommendations from the Department of Health, I think the recommendations that they posted are very important and would be helpful for both patients and family practitioners who are giving the vaccine to these patients as a so-called recommendation or guideline, so that they can actually have a reference to decide whether the vaccine should be given to these individuals.

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An expert committee today advised people with chronic illnesses to defer receiving the COVID-19 vaccination until their condition is under control.

The Expert Committee on Clinical Events Assessment Following COVID-19 Immunisation made the appeal after meeting this afternoon to assess serious adverse events relating to the vaccination.

Since the launch of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, seven death cases have been reported involving those who had been vaccinated. The deceased ranged in age from 55 to 80.

The committee's Co-convener Prof Ivan Hung said full autopsy reports are still pending for the two earliest cases involving a 63-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman, while the cause of death for the remaining five cases was not directly associated with the vaccination.

However, he noted that the five cases had heart-related diseases and advised those with heart problems to bring their condition under control before getting the jab.

“For patients who have got very stable diseases or chronic illnesses including cardiovascular disease, they will be encouraged to receive the vaccination.

“We only refer to patients who have symptoms or have very poor control, for example, their hypertension is very poorly controlled or they have very poorly controlled diabetes, or they have ongoing symptoms for example, chest pain or shortness of breath on exertion.

“So for these patients we would suggest them to defer the vaccination until they have controlled their current illnesses, and then of course they could receive the vaccine afterwards.”

Prof Hung added that the Government's guidelines can be used as a reference for both patients and doctors when making a decision on vaccination.

“For the current guidelines or the recommendations from the Department of Health, I think the recommendations that they posted are very important and would be helpful for both patients and family practitioners who are giving the vaccine to these patients as a so-called recommendation or guideline.”