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SFH on human swine flu

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Following is the transcript of remarks (English portion) made by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, at a stand-up media session at the Legislative Council Building today (June 10):

Reporter: So will Hong Kong have any corresponding measures once the WHO raises the alert level?

Secretary for Food and Health: In fact, we are operating as if there is a pandemic already. We are still having our measures at port health, hospital and clinic levels. Of course we are also planning for a more serious winter influenza and that��s why we put forth the proposal to Legco for the vaccination programme. So in a way, we are already at the emergency level of alert and also at the highest level of alert. But we will monitor what this implication would be, in other countries, particularly whether there would be any travel restrictions, whether there would be any significant changes in some of the national policy in some of the countries, we will take reference from that.

Reporter: Some of the lawmakers have just said the Government-proposed vaccination programme is highly risky, because there might not be so many people getting the vaccination?

Secretary for Food and Health: Of course we have explained to the legislators that, in fact, there are a very few experts in the world who can actually predict what will actually happen in winter. But based on scientific analysis and prediction, we have to prepare for a serious flu season this winter. And whether there would be an increase in the numbers of hospitalisation and of mortality, and whether it would affect more at-risk groups, so I think it is important for us to be determined, how we can protect those at-risk groups as far as possible. Although we have to spend up to a billion dollars on the whole vaccination programme, but I believe this works for our insurance that we can actually afford and be able to give some sense of comfort for our citizens this year. For the next year, then of course, after the coming winter, we will be able to predict more precisely about what will happen in the coming years.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)



Ends/Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Issued at HKT 12:31

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12 Apr 2019