Immunisation advisers meet

February 4, 2021

The Expert Committee on Clinical Events Assessment Following COVID-19 Immunisation held its first meeting today, during which members endorsed the committee’s operating procedures and discussed the risk communication plan.

 

The meeting was hosted by the committee’s co-convenors Prof Ivan Hung and Dr Lee Cheuk-kwong.

 

The risk communication plan covers mainly the monitoring, reporting and following up of the clinical events, including adverse events following immunisation and of special interest during the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

 

The plan will be finalised and endorsed before the vaccination programme starts.

 

Ahead of the meeting, Director of Health Dr Constance Chan thanked the expert advisers for accepting the appointment and participating in the safety monitoring of COVID-19 vaccines’ emergency use in Hong Kong.

 

She said the Government will strive for timely identification of and response to serious clinical events following COVID-19 vaccination that may cause public concern. It will also keep monitoring the safety of the authorised COVID-19 vaccines to safeguard public health.

 

The Secretary for Food & Health is required by relevant regulation to put in place a mechanism for monitoring any adverse events that occur to the recipients associated with administering authorised COVID-19 vaccines.

 

As such, the Director of Health appointed the expert committee to provide an independent assessment of potential causal links between the clinical events and the COVID-19 vaccines used in Hong Kong.

 

The committee also reviews all serious clinical events for expert opinion and advises on immunisation safety-related matters of COVID-19 vaccines.

Back to top