Vaccination for expat's baby
- Thread starter Bear Lau
- Start date
rani
Administrator
Are you sure Beky? Their website states that you only need a HKID card to be eligible for free vaccinations.
http://www.fhs.gov.hk/english/fee_cha/general_pub/general_pub.html
http://www.fhs.gov.hk/english/fee_cha/general_pub/general_pub.html
It's funny, because after we relocated here, I spoke with a few local parents, they urged me to go to a private doctor and get vaccinations there because they say the government ones are "not as good" 
It's kind of funny how the locals perceive of their own health system.
It's kind of funny how the locals perceive of their own health system.Comment from local mom
Yes, as a local mom, I also have my bb to have vaccinations at both private doctors and public clinics.
We usually opt for private doctors if there are more expensive but higher quality alternatives available in the market. "higher quality" here means more coverage and less side effect.
Our public health system here is very good. But the govt would try to balance the cost benefits for highest effectiveness. so for vaccinations, they will follow the recommendations from WHO and provide the most common (and lowest price) vaccinations. so if you want to take a "newer", "higher quality" (and more expensive) vaccine, private dr is the choice.
Same case for medicine, HK public hospital will have a list of medicines. They will provide the most common medicines to patients. but for newer and expensive medicines (guess you understand that most new medicinces are very expensive because of the 10 year patent), you can ask the public hospital doctors for recommendation but you need to buy them yourselves.
hope that u understand the rationale of your local mom friends' recommendation.
Yes, as a local mom, I also have my bb to have vaccinations at both private doctors and public clinics.
We usually opt for private doctors if there are more expensive but higher quality alternatives available in the market. "higher quality" here means more coverage and less side effect.
Our public health system here is very good. But the govt would try to balance the cost benefits for highest effectiveness. so for vaccinations, they will follow the recommendations from WHO and provide the most common (and lowest price) vaccinations. so if you want to take a "newer", "higher quality" (and more expensive) vaccine, private dr is the choice.
Same case for medicine, HK public hospital will have a list of medicines. They will provide the most common medicines to patients. but for newer and expensive medicines (guess you understand that most new medicinces are very expensive because of the 10 year patent), you can ask the public hospital doctors for recommendation but you need to buy them yourselves.
hope that u understand the rationale of your local mom friends' recommendation.
HKfornow said:It's funny, because after we relocated here, I spoke with a few local parents, they urged me to go to a private doctor and get vaccinations there because they say the government ones are "not as good"
One good example of the difference in vaccines - the gov clinics only give oral polio, which uses a live virus. We pay for the injectible polio, using a safer, dead virus.
Children under the age of 12 (or is it 11?) do not get issued with ID cards.
Government clinics also do not offer the Hib, varicela, prevnar or many other vaccines.
However, from all accounts, the clinics are very good - on a par with the services offered in the UK and Australia. No frills, but they get the job done.
Children under the age of 12 (or is it 11?) do not get issued with ID cards.
Government clinics also do not offer the Hib, varicela, prevnar or many other vaccines.
However, from all accounts, the clinics are very good - on a par with the services offered in the UK and Australia. No frills, but they get the job done.