The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
Given the latest supply situation of measles vaccines, the Hospital Authority (HA) today (April 25) announced the extension of the staff measles vaccination programme to all staff members with inadequate immunity to measles.
According to the recommendations by the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases under the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health, healthcare workers are among the priority groups to receive measles vaccination.
"While public hospitals have already taken every infection control precaution, the extended vaccination coverage will provide additional protection for hospital staff with possible exposure to measles patients during their communicable period when the symptoms are non-specific," the HA spokesperson said.
Irrespective of their clinical departments, HA staff members who were born in 1967 or after, have not been confirmed to have had measles before, and have not received any or have only received one previous dose of measles vaccination can make an appointment for vaccination at the Staff Clinics beginning next Monday.
According to information provided by the CHP, people who were born before 1967 or have received two documented doses of vaccination are generally considered to have immunity to measles and additional vaccination is not necessary.
The HA's staff measles vaccination programme commenced on April 1. Over 3,300 hospital staff members working in high-risk departments and with inadequate immunity have already been vaccinated.
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