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Medical professionals and social organizations name for elevated consciousness of pneumococcal menace and strengthened preventative measures amongst high-risk people
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 10 September 2023 – Latest findings from a complete survey performed in Hong Kong have revealed an alarming lack of know-how concerning the pneumococcal vaccine, leaving greater than half of town’s middle-aged and aged inhabitants unprotected in opposition to this doubtlessly lethal an infection. Regardless of the established effectiveness of vaccination as a preventative measure in opposition to pneumococcal illness, town’s present vaccination price is unsatisfactory.
Mr. Patrick Cheung, Founding father of Jade Membership (first from left),Mr. Chow Chun-man, Vice President of Hong Kong Respiratory Nursing Faculty (fifth from left), Dr Stanley Tam Kui-fu, President of the Hong Kong Geriatrics Society(sixth from left),Professor Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, Chair Professor and Head of Division of Infectious Illnesses of HKU Medical College(seventh from left), Professor Angela Leung Yee-man, Professor of College of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic College(eight from left), Ms Iris Chang, President of the Hong Kong Academy of Pharmacy (ninth from left), Mr Yuen Siu-lam, President of the Hong Kong Alliance of Sufferers’ Organizations(fifth from proper) , and Ms Lois Lam, Deputy CEO of The Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation (fourth from proper) name for elevated consciousness of pneumococcal menace and strengthened preventative measures amongst high-risk people 
As the following technology of pneumococcal vaccines with broader serotype protection turns into accessible in Hong Kong, worldwide vaccination pointers, together with these from america Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), have been up to date to embody the most recent immunization suggestions.
Hong Kong’s medical and social welfare communities have come collectively to problem a joint attraction, urging the general public to acknowledge the intense menace posed by pneumococcal illness. The attraction emphasizes the significance of preventive measures, significantly amongst high-risk people.
Alarming low pneumococcal vaccination price amongst high-risk aged in Hong Kong
“Pneumonia, predominantly triggered by pneumococcal illness, ranks because the second main reason for loss of life in Hong Kong,” emphasised Dr Stanley Tam Kui-fu, President of the Hong Kong Geriatrics Society. “With pandemic prevention measures enjoyable, we’re seeing a resurgence of significant sicknesses linked to pneumococcal infections again to pre-epidemic ranges. The aged, significantly these grappling with continual illnesses, are at a major danger. Their probability of hospitalization as a result of pneumococcal pneumonia is greater than ten instances greater in comparison with these within the 18-49 age group.”
Mr. Chow Chun-man, Vice President of Hong Kong Respiratory Nursing Faculty, concurred, noting that older adults are significantly inclined to extreme issues from pneumococcal illness. “Many aged sufferers hospitalized as a result of pneumococcal infections require intensive care and mechanical air flow, with many affected by important sequelae, together with diminished lung operate, even after discharge,” he remarked.
To deal with the less-than-ideal vaccination price — at present solely 40% of the aged inhabitants have been vaccinated — The Hong Kong Alliance of Sufferers’ Organizations partnered with the College of Nursing of the Hong Kong Polytechnic College to conduct a territory-wide survey by means of 90 skilled aged well being ambassadors, inviting people aged 50 and above to reply questions on their data of pneumococcus and their attitudes in the direction of vaccination. This intensive outreach has efficiently garnered over 2,000 accomplished surveys, offering a wealth of insightful information with highlights as follows:
1. Basic public’s data of pneumococcal an infection is restricted, resulting in oversight of the extreme penalties it will possibly convey.
- Few individuals take note of signs comparable to ear ache, psychological confusion, and neck stiffness which will seem throughout pneumococcal an infection, most focus solely on signs like fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
- Moreover, few individuals know that pneumococcus may trigger extreme illnesses comparable to meningitis and septicemia.
2. The ratio of complete vaccinated inhabitants is low, primarily as a result of a lack of information concerning the vaccine.
- Though the vast majority of individuals know that vaccination is an efficient approach to stop pneumococcal an infection, about half of the respondents haven’t been vaccinated.
- The first purpose for not getting vaccinated is “not figuring out /shouldn’t have enough data concerning the pneumococcal vaccine”. As well as, “lack of enough vaccine data” and “concern of vaccine unintended effects” are frequent causes for not getting vaccinated.
- On the hand, about half of the individuals have no idea the place to get the pneumococcal vaccination, and they’re unaware that people aged 65 or above are eligible to obtain subsided and even free authorities vaccination providers.
3. A single-dose pneumococcal vaccine offering enough safety might be a game-changer by way of encouraging immediate vaccination
- Greater than 80% of respondents said that if just one dose of vaccine is required to supply enough safety, it might enhance their willingness to get vaccinated.
- Lengthy-lasting safety, availability of free vaccination, and excessive security profile of the vaccine are an important concerns for pneumococcal vaccination.
Professor Angela Leung Yee-man, Professor of College of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic College, who led this analysis, mentioned: “The survey outcomes present that along with strengthening illness schooling, details about vaccines must be extra focused and simpler to grasp to extend the vaccination price among the many aged.”
CDC updates nationwide pointers for pneumococcal vaccination following Introduction of new-generation vaccines
The HKSAR Authorities at present presents 13-valent and 23-valent pneumococcal vaccines. The previous, a conjugate vaccine, gives long-lasting safety however solely covers 13 serotypes. The latter, a polysaccharide vaccine, covers extra serotypes however has a shorter period of safety.
In recent times, there have been breakthrough developments in pneumococcal vaccines with the emergence and subsequent registration of 15-valent and 20-valent pneumococcal vaccines by the Division of Well being in Hong Kong. Professor Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, Chair Professor and Head of Division of Infectious Illnesses of HKU Medical College, identified that, each the aforementioned new vaccines are conjugate vaccines, providing sturdy safety, and canopy a broader vary of serotypes than the standard 13-valent conjugate vaccine. Taking the 20-valent pneumococcal vaccine for instance, its protection price is 13.4% greater than that of the 13-valent vaccine, and on the similar time covers the extra well-liked serotypes abroad. He indicated that vaccines with broad serotype protection are significantly necessary for Hong Kong as it’s an open metropolis with a cellular inhabitants that’s inclined to publicity to different serotypes of pneumococcus.
The US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) has up to date its nationwide pointers for pneumococcal vaccination. The brand new pointers replicate the newest scientific insights and suggestions, guaranteeing the absolute best safety in opposition to pneumococcal illness for the final inhabitants. The up to date pointers point out that people aged 65 and above, or these aged 19-64 with continual sicknesses who’ve by no means been vaccinated in opposition to pneumococcal illness:
- ought to obtain a dose of the 15-valent vaccine, adopted by a dose of the 23-valent vaccine a 12 months later;
OR
- after receiving a dose of 20-valent vaccine, no further pneumococcal vaccination is required.
“New-generation vaccines cowl a wider vary of serotypes. It can be crucial for the HKSAR Authorities to promptly replace vaccination suggestions and supply subsidy for the aged to get the most recent vaccines freed from cost, giving the high-risk people in our metropolis a better stage of safety.” Professor Ivan Hung remarked.
Introduction of new-generation pneumococcal vaccine and simplified vaccination coverage to spice up uptake amongst Hong Kong aged
The HKSAR Authorities at present gives a pneumococcal vaccine subsidy scheme for people aged 65 and above. Nevertheless, the sort and dose of vaccine administered are determined based mostly on the person’s medical historical past, and are divided into high-risk and low-risk teams, every with completely different vaccination preparations and doses.
Ms Iris Chang, President of the Hong Kong Academy of Pharmacy, believes that the complexity of the present vaccine measures could be complicated for the general public and burdensome for healthcare professionals to elucidate, thus doubtlessly deterring aged people from getting vaccinated. She recommends that the federal government swiftly introduce the new-generation pneumococcal vaccine to broaden serotype protection, improve herd immunity, and simplify the vaccination coverage to encourage extra aged to get vaccinated.
Mr Yuen Siu-lam, President of the Hong Kong Alliance of Sufferers’ Organizations, additionally urges the federal government to strengthen public schooling on pneumococcal illness and improve preventive measures. This consists of reducing the brink for vaccine subsidies, comparable to contemplating all people aged 65 and above, no matter their danger stage, totally free pneumococcal vaccination. Furthermore, as continual illnesses can enhance the prospect of extreme sickness and hospitalization, it is usually advisable that sufferers aged 50-64 with continual illness be supplied with subsidies to permit extra high-risk people to be protected by the vaccine.
Hashtag: #pnemococcal #pneumonia #vaccine
The issuer is solely accountable for the content material of this announcement.
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