Bangkok--9 Dec--Communication and More
ASAP welcomes the Hong Kong Government’s commitment to include the pneumococcal vaccine into the Childhood Immunization Program
The Asia Strategic Alliance for Pneumococcal disease prevention (ASAP) is encouraged by the Hong Kong government’s recent announcement to include the iPD vaccine into the Childhood Immunization Program.
Professor Lulu Bravo, Chairperson of ASAP said, “On behalf of families with young children, the Hong Kong government has taken a significant step forward in helping to protect children from pneumococcal disease through routine vaccination. We eagerly await details of the government’s plan to implement the pneumococcal immunization program.
“The Hong Kong government has indicated that the program is expected to start by September of 2009. Each day that countries across Asia Pacific delay the introduction of the pneumococcal vaccine, children are at risk of contracting this potentially debilitating and fatal disease.” said Professor Bravo
The Government’s announcement of the inclusion of pneumococcal vaccine in their childhood immunization program brings Hong Kong in line with Australia and New Zealand as the leading countries in Asia Pacific to have acted upon the World Health Organization’s recommendation to implement a childhood immunization program for pneumococcal disease.
“Other Asia Pacific countries/regions have evidence to support a national immunization program and we hope they will emulate the Hong Kong example to address the significant burden of pneumococcal disease.”
Professor Bravo emphasized that by routinely vaccinating our children against pneumococcal disease, we not only protest these children but in addition, have the ability to help protect the broader community — unvaccinated children, parents and grandparents — through a process of herd protection.
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Ms.Pitima R. (Thailand)
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