The Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases is reviewing the inclusion of vaccines against invasive pneumococcal illnesses in the Childhood Immunisation Programme and its cost effectiveness, Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Dr York Chow says.
But the Government has no plans to introduce a meningococcal vaccine into the childhood immunisation programme.
Dr Chow told legislators today that the incidence of invasive meningococcal infections is relatively low in Hong Kong. About half the infections were caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B, which is not covered by the quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine, which protects against serogroups A, C, Y and W-135.
Furthermore, the duration of protection of the vaccine is short, and it is relatively ineffective in children under two. Therefore, the committee concludes there is insufficient justification to include the quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine in the programme.
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