Press Releases

SFH on influenza vaccination (with photos)

Following is the transcript of remarks made by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, after inspecting the implementation of the influenza vaccine programme today (November 3):

Reporter: (On seasonal influenza.)

Secretary for Food and Health: There is a major peak of seasonal influenza from January to March every year. According to the advice of the World Health Organization and the Centre for Health Protection in Hong Kong, receiving vaccination against seasonal influenza is effective in preventing influenza. The efficiency rate is up to around 70 per cent. The reasons for health-care workers in Hong Kong not being particularly receptive to the idea of receiving the vaccination may be multiple, such as personal belief, cultural background, etc. That is why I am joining other senior officials from the Hospital Authority, the Department of Health and the Food and Health Bureau to receive the vaccination today. We hope that by doing this ourselves, we would reinforce our appeal to the public of Hong Kong as well as the health-care workers and enhance the coverage rate of vaccination.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

Ends/Monday, November 3, 2014
Issued at HKT 18:05

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