XN000022-1988-10-28 — Page 9

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1988

THE EXPANDED PROGRAMME WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE HEPATITIS B VACCINATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE SET UP IN LATE 1982 ΤΟ MONITOR AND ADVISE THE GOVERNMENT ON THE VACCINATION PROGRAMME.

THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FELT THAT THE EXPANDED PROGRAMME WILL HELP TO CURB THE SPREAD OF HEPATITIS B WHICH IS PREVALENT IN HONG KONG.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT 10 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION ARE CARRIERS OF THE DISEASE AND ABOUT ONE QUARTER OF THE CARRIERS WILL SUFFER AND EVENTUALLY DIE FROM CHRONIC LIVER, DISEASE SUCH AS CIRRHOSIS, OR EVEN LIVER CANCER WHICH IS THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF CANCER DEATH IN HONG KONG.

EXPLAINING THE DETAILS OF THE SCHEME, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE COMMITTEE SAID THAT EACH BABY WILL RECEIVE A FULL COURSE OF THREE DOSES THE FIRST AT BIRTH AND THE SECOND ABOUT ONE MONTH LATER WHILE THE LAST DOSE IS GIVEN WHEN THE BABY IS BETWEEN THREE TO FIVE MONTHS OLD.

BABIES WHOSE MOTHERS ARE NOT CARRIERS OF THE RECEIVE THE SECOND AND THIRD DOSES IN ANY MATERNAL CENTRES.

AND

DISEASE CAN CHILD HEALTH

REFERRED TO

FOR BABIES BORN TO CARRIER MOTHERS, THEY WILL BR THE FOUR REGIONAL HEPATITIS B VACCINATION CLINICS AT TSAN YUK HOSPITAL, QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL, PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL AND PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL FOR FOLLOW-UP.

THESE BABIES ARE ALSO GIVEN EXTRA PROTECTION IN THE FORM OF HEPATITIS B IMMUNOGLOBULIN AT BIRTH.

THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT FIRST LAUNCHED A PILOT PROGRAMME FOR HEPATITIS B VACCINATION IN 1983 ΤΟ STUDY THE EFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY OF DIFFERENT VACCINES, DOSAGES AND SCHEDULES.

VACCINATION FOR AT RISK BABIES I.E. BABIES BORN TO CARRIER MOTHERS WAS INTRODUCED IN 1984 AND THE PROGRAMME WAS LATER EXTENDED IN PHASES TO COVER ALL BABIES BORN IN GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS. IN 1986, SUBVENTED HOSPITALS WERE ALSO INCLUDED.

THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT INFECTION IN EARLY LIFE IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE INFECTED BABIES ARE ESPECIALLY. PRONE BECOME CARRIERS COMPARED TO ADULTS.

ΤΟ

"MANY INFANTS ARE INFECTED BY THE DISEASE DURING BIRTH IF THEIR MOTHERS ARE CARRIERS, HE SAID.

申中

EVEN IF THE MOTHERS ARE NOT CARRIERS, CHILDREN CAN GET INFECTED FROM CONTACT WITH OTHER CARRIERS.

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