Playtimes HK Magazine September 2018 Issue | Page 33

advice
Hong Kong has never
had a vaccine
scandal; but we do
risk problems meeting
the demands of
mainland parents
flooding to the city
seeking safer
immunisations
time one of these rumours circulates,
immunisation rates fall and more
people get sick and die as a result.
So what types of quality control are
in place for global vaccine providers?
The process of vaccine production is
governed by the principals of Good
Manufacturing Practice (GMP), and
overseen by regulatory agencies
including the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and other federal
agencies around the world, under
World Health Organization (WHO)
guidance. Every batch of vaccines
must be tested for quality and safety,
and have their potency, purity and
sterility checked. The results of these
tests combined with inspections of the
production facilities enable us to place
trust in the products we use.
In Hong Kong, all vaccines in
routine use are imported from foreign
manufacturers meeting tight GMP
and quality-control standards. Hong
Kong has never had a vaccine scandal;
but we do risk problems meeting the
demands of mainland parents flooding
to the city seeking safer immunisations
for their children.
The Chinese national immunisation
programme has helped China achieve
positive health outcomes in the past 20
years. Authorities from China are now
under immense pressure to tighten
control and enforce regulations that
meet world standards. We certainly
hope they will be able to restore and
sustain their vaccine programme and
continue to protect millions of children
from preventable diseases.
Dr Sarah Borwein is a Canadian-trained
general practitioner. She has a Master's
degree in Infectious Diseases and has
a special interest in tropical medicine
and travel health. She can be seen
at Central Health Medical Practice,
where she is a managing partner of the
group's three practices.
September 2018
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