The Expert Committee on the New Crown Vaccine Advisory Committee recently recommended that one-third of the dose of the adult Fubitai vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years should be allowed for "off-label use".
Liu Zexing, the convener of the COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory and Expert Committee, said on the RTHK program "Millennium" today (13th) that, with reference to foreign practices and research, he believes that the "off-label use" of vaccines has sufficient protection and safety.
He pointed out that the amount of diluted vaccine needs to be accurate, so it is recommended that not all vaccination centers can vaccinate children aged 5 to 11, and the responsible personnel also need training.
▼From January 14, all primary schools and kindergartens in Hong Kong will temporarily conduct face-to-face courses▼
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Liu Zexing, the convener of the New Crown Vaccine Advisory and Expert Committee, said that the committee reviewed the data when it met on Wednesday, and the study showed that the vaccine has sufficient protection for children, and that the neutralizing antibody after partial doses of the adult Fubitai vaccine can reach the human level. In addition to a certain degree of safety, it is recommended to use one-third of the dose of the adult Fubitux vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 for "off-label use" similar to the British practice.
He pointed out that "off-label use" has also been used in children's medicines in the past and is not a new practice.
He said that the process of diluting the vaccine needs to be accurate, so it is recommended that only some vaccination centers provide children's vaccination services with Forpidil, and the staff also need to have sufficient training and follow standard procedures.
As for the interval between the two doses, he pointed out that it was suggested earlier that the two doses of the Sinovac vaccine should be separated by three months. He hoped that the two vaccines should be separated by the same time to avoid confusion among the public, but it still needs to be reviewed by the Joint Scientific Committee.
He pointed out that due to the time-consuming operation arrangements, it is expected to take a certain period of time to implement, hopefully around the Lunar New Year.
Liu Zexing, convener of the New Crown Vaccine Advisory and Expert Committee.
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As for the claim that the pharmaceutical factory did not apply to the authorities, the pharmaceutical factory would not be held responsible in the event of an accident. Liu Zexing pointed out that the most important thing is to look at the scientific evidence, and the authorities will also review the safety before approving the use.
Xu Shuchang, a government expert consultant and chair professor of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at CUHK, pointed out in the commercial program "Starting on a Sunny Day" that the practice of "off-label use" is common in pediatric medicines. It is technically feasible, and the overall responsibility for providing the vaccine lies with the government.
The pharmaceutical factory did not apply for the expert committee to take the lead in advocating that the dose of 5 to 11 years old can be reduced by two-thirds. Two more vaccination centers in Kowloon Bay will make an appointment on 1.21 to call Fubitai from Friday
