HONG KONG: Legislators expressed concern yesterday over the weak response to the government's flu vaccine program and added the situation may worsen because public anxieties about the human swine flu vaccine have risen due to reports of bad reactions to the vaccine.

Both Lo Wing-lok and Kwok Ka-kei, an infectious disease specialist and a urology doctor respectively, believe the government overestimated the doses needed in the first place, and then with the recent unfavorable reports, the public may be shying away from getting the shots.

Last week, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) received a report of a suspected case of GBS affecting a 58-year-old man. The CHP's Expert Group on Serious Adverse Events following human swine flu vaccination met on January 7 and it concluded the patient's clinical features were compatible with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS).

Secretary for Food and Health York Chow noted, the side effects of the H1N1 vaccines are pretty mild and that about a hundred million doses of the vaccines have been administered worldwide.

People from the five target groups are in great need to take the vaccines, Chow suggested.

Thomas Tsang, controller from the CHP, admitted that "it is not possible to differentiate with reasonable certainty whether the relationship between human swine flu vaccination and the patient's symptoms is casual or coincidental."

Tsang also revealed that GBS cases did not increase significantly after H1N1 vaccines were administered. According to Hospital Authority data from 2000 to 2009, between 42 and 65 cases of GBS are recorded each year. The number of GBS cases recorded in October, November and December 2009 was 10, 10 and 6, respectively.

Senior officials said there is no need for change of strategy of the Human Swine Influenza Vaccination Programme and suggested the program may even be expanded if the stock of vaccines exceeds demand.

As of the end of last week, around 120,000 Hong Kong residents were vaccinated since the implementation of the program on December 21.

Speaking at the conclusion of the meeting of the Legislative Council's Health Services Panel, Chow said that there is an abundant supply of vaccines and the government may consider expanding the vaccine program beyond the original five target groups when the second batch of vaccines arrives later this month. More private doctors may be invited to join the program in order to accelerate the level of vaccinations.

Primary school students may become the first priority group to get vaccinated under an expanded program.

Chow expects that when the flu enters its peak season, there will be more people coming forward to get shots.

Some lawmakers also suggested the government provide the vaccines free of charge. Chow replied the government will take all accounts into consideration before making the decision.

Acknowledging the low percentage of medical caregivers taking vaccines, Chow admitted it is not possible to make vaccinations compulsory.

He said he hopes medical professionals will remain physically fit to tackle the upcoming flu peak because they not only are taking care of themselves, but also patients.

Kwok claimed that medical caregivers are well aware of the pros and cons of taking shots, for those who have frequent connection with flu patients are more willing to take vaccines, as usual.

Since December 21, people aged 65 or above, children aged six months to six years, pregnant women, chronic patients and people in the pig farming industry have been eligible to receive the vaccinations without charge at government clinics. They can also get inoculated at private clinics with a government subsidy of HK$129 per shot.

(HK Edition 01/12/2010 page1)