ENG-2012 — Page 191

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Health

The centre organises drills every year to test Hong Kong's preparedness. In 2012, the centre organised an exercise to test interdepartmental procedures and government contingency actions for the isolation and evacuation of a building and to enhance preparedness and interdepartmental co-ordination and co-operation. Fifteen Government departments and public sector organisations took part in the exercise, with observers from the Mainland and Macao health authorities.

There are 48 statutory notifiable infectious diseases in Hong Kong. During 2012, about 17,500 cases were reported, of which about 8,600 and 4,969* (*provisional figure) were diagnosed as chickenpox and tuberculosis respectively.

According to the CHP's 2012 surveillance data, the influenza season lasted from January to July and was characterised by two waves caused by sequential circulation of influenza B virus. followed by influenza A (H3N2) virus. From 13 January to 26 July 2012, the CHP recorded 347 intensive care unit admissions (of which 227 died), with the majority of these serious cases among the elderly. Sixteen paediatric cases of severe influenza-associated complications with two fatalities were recorded.

The CHP's approach to preventing and controlling influenza included setting up laboratory surveillance and sentinel surveillance networks which cover childcare centres, residential care homes for the elderly, HA out-patient clinics, clinics of private practitioners and Chinese medicine practitioners; establishing a surveillance mechanism with public and private hospitals; reminding relevant personnel such as doctors, staff of institutions and schools to take prevention and infection control measures; and strengthening publicity, health education and risk communication.

Vaccination Programmes

Children in Hong Kong are protected against communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis B, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella and pneumococcus under a 'Childhood Immunisation Programme! The Government provides target groups with free seasonal influenza vaccinations each year at public hospitals and clinics. The vaccination programme also provides one free pneumococcal vaccination to all elderly persons living in residential care homes for the elderly or the disabled, those aged 65 or above with chronic medical problems attending public clinics, and those aged 65 or above receiving CSSA, who have not yet been vaccinated.

The Childhood Influenza Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (for children aged between six months. and less than six years) and the Elderly Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (for persons aged 65 or above) provide subsidised seasonal influenza vaccinations at private clinics. The two vaccination subsidy schemes, with a total of over 1,600 participating private doctors, were launched on 24 September 2012.

These various vaccination programmes help protect high risk groups against infection and related complications, hospitalisation and mortality.

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