If individuals pay better attention to hygiene and take personal responsibility, he said, the benefits may be better than chasing vaccines targeting new variants. Meanwhile, the Centre for Health Protection is offering a 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in its vaccination programs, replacing the current 13-valent vaccine, which covers fewer kinds of pneumococcal serotypes. The CHP said that children currently receiving PCV13 can switch to PCV15 for their next dose directly. As such, those elderly who have received PCV13 may not necessarily need the PCV15 again, as the 23vPPV can extend protection to other serotypes. Lam also highlighted that high-risk individuals who are not vaccinated are at risk of complications, including otitis media, pneumonia and meningitis.

Source: The Standard August 05, 2024 20:30 UTC