The following is issued on behalf of the Community Care Fund Secretariat:
 
     Applications for the Community Care Fund (CCF) Cervical Cancer Vaccination Pilot Scheme (Pilot Scheme) will close at 8pm on September 16 (Monday). The Family Planning Association of Hong Kong (FPAHK) today (August 16) appealed to eligible teenage girls to register for vaccination as early as possible.
 
      The FPAHK will provide eligible applicants with registration, vaccination and related services at the three Youth Health Care Centres in Wan Chai, Mong Kok and Kwai Fong. Eligible applicants may call these centres during office hours to book their first appointment, or register online through the Pilot Scheme website. Telephone numbers of the three Youth Health Care Centres are as below:
 

 
     At the first appointment, applicants must bring along documentary proof in person for processing the application and arrangements will be made for them to undergo clinical assessment prior to vaccination. Applicants under 18 years old must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at their first appointment. Eligible applicants must receive the first dose of vaccine on or before September 30, 2019 and complete the remaining doses within the time period instructed by the doctor.
 
     Eligible beneficiaries of the Pilot Scheme include girls aged 9 to 18 who are receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, female students aged 9 or above who are receiving a full grant under the School Textbook Assistance Scheme (STAS), girls aged 9 to 18 who are from households benefiting from the Working Family Allowance Scheme and female students aged 9 or above who are receiving a half grant under the STAS. Except for female students receiving a half grant under the STAS who will be required to pay $100 for each dose of vaccine, all eligible beneficiaries will receive a free cervical cancer vaccination.
 
      The Pilot Scheme was launched in October 2016 with funding from CCF for a duration of three years to provide cervical cancer vaccination for girls from eligible low-income families. The FPAHK is the implementing agent of the Pilot Scheme. New applications for the Pilot Scheme were originally scheduled to close in late March 2019. The Commission on Poverty later approved to extend the closing date for new applications under the Pilot Scheme for six months to late September 2019. As at the end of June 2019, around 26 000 girls have benefited from the Pilot Scheme.
   
      The publicity leaflet of the Pilot Scheme is available at the Youth Health Care Centres, clinics and Women's Clubs of the FPAHK; Social Security Field Units of the Social Welfare Department; clinics and health centres under the Department of Health; and the Working Family Allowance Office of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency. Members of the public may visit CCF's website and the FPAHK website for eligibility criteria, application procedures and other details of the Pilot Scheme. For enquiries, please call the Pilot Scheme hotline at 2919 7878 or email ccfvaccine@famplan.org.hk.
 
      As well, following the aforesaid Pilot Scheme, eligible female primary school students will be provided with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations starting from the 2019/20 school year under the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme of the Department of Health to prevent cervical cancer. The first dose will be given by the School Immunisation Teams of the Department of Health to Primary Five female students at their schools by phase after the start of school term in September 2019, and a second dose will be given to the girls when they reach Primary Six in the following school year. For enquiries regarding the HPV vaccination, please contact the Department of Health at 2615 8577.

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, chaired the fifth meeting of the Commission on Children today (August 16).
 
     The Commission approved 43 applications from child care groups, non-governmental organisations and schools seeking funding support of about $9.1 million from the Funding Scheme for Children's Well-being and Development.
 
     "About half of the applications aim to promote the healthy development of children, while others focus on the development of children's potential and talents, raising public awareness of children with special needs and promotion of child protection. The Scheme attaches great importance to children's participation, and the awarded projects are able to provide children with a wide range of participation opportunities, including participation in the design of games to boost their creativity as well as theatre training and performance to nurture their communication and problem-solving skills. Most projects also involve parents, teachers and other stakeholders in order to enhance their understanding and communication with children," Mr Cheung said.
 
     The Commission has also endorsed the proposal to rename the "Working Group on Children with Special Needs" as "Working Group on Children with Specific Needs" to reflect better its scope of work which covers children with special educational needs and ethnic minority children.
 
     The Commission took note of the screening, assessment, diagnosis and early intervention services provided by the Department of Health (DH) and the Hospital Authority (HA) for children and adolescents with developmental disabilities from birth till they enter secondary schools. The Child Assessment Service provided by the DH has adopted a triage system to ensure that children with urgent and serious conditions are given priority for timely assessment. To improve its services, the DH has started preparation for the establishment of a new Child Assessment Centre. HA has also strengthened manpower for multi-disciplinary teams to provide psychiatric services for children and adolescents in need.
 
     In addition, members offered views on the outline of the proposed thematic report on children to be published by the Census and Statistics Department in 2023. To promote public debate on children-related issues and facilitate planning for government and non-governmental organisations' services, the report will present through statistics certain characteristics of local children from the demographic, education, economic, household, housing and geographic perspectives. Statistical analyses are specifically developed to reveal the specific features of issues such as children's family background, adequacy of care, living conditions, access to education, transportation to and from schools, household income and other characteristics of the household to which the children belong.   

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited on fraudulent websites, which has been reported to the HKMA.  Hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website for ease of reference by members of the public.
 
     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the websites concerned or has conducted any financial transactions through the websites should contact the bank concerned using the contact information provided in the press release, and report to the Police or contact the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by Bank of Singapore Limited on fraudulent websites, which has been reported to the HKMA.  Hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website for ease of reference by members of the public.
 
     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the websites concerned or has conducted any financial transactions through the websites should contact the bank concerned using the contact information provided in the press release, and report to the Police or contact the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (August 16) reported the latest number of cases of dengue fever (DF), and strongly urged the public to maintain strict environmental hygiene, mosquito control and personal protective measures both locally and during travel.

     From August 9 to 15, the CHP recorded eight imported DF cases. The patients had been to Thailand (four cases), Malaysia (two cases), Indonesia (one case) and the Philippines (one case) during the incubation period.

     As of yesterday (August 15), 113 cases had been recorded this year, as compared with 62 cases recorded in the same period last year. All the cases recorded in 2019 were imported, mainly from Thailand (23), Malaysia (20), Cambodia (18) and Indonesia (18).

    The CHP has been closely monitoring the latest DF situation in neighbouring and overseas areas. DF is endemic in many tropical and subtropical areas of the world. According to the World Health Organization, some Asian countries are experiencing unusually high numbers of DF cases for this time of year. Detailed information on the latest DF situation in Hong Kong as well as neighbouring and overseas countries and areas this year has been uploaded to the CHP's website (www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/df_imported_cases_and_overseas_figures_eng.pdf). Members of the public should stay vigilant and carry out effective mosquito prevention and control measures.

     ​"Apart from general measures, travellers returning from areas affected by DF should apply insect repellent for 14 days upon arrival in Hong Kong. If feeling unwell, seek medical advice promptly and provide travel details to the doctor," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     The public should take heed of the following advice on mosquito control:
 

• Thoroughly check all gully traps, roof gutters, surface channels and drains to prevent blockage;
• Scrub and clean drains and surface channels with an alkaline detergent compound at least once a week to remove any deposited mosquito eggs;
• Properly dispose of refuse, such as soft drink cans, empty bottles and boxes, in covered litter containers;
• Completely change the water of flowers and plants at least once a week. The use of saucers should be avoided if possible;
• Level irregular ground surfaces before the rainy season;
• Avoid staying in shrubby areas; and
• Take personal protective measures such as wearing light-coloured long-sleeved clothes and trousers and apply insect repellent containing DEET to clothing or uncovered areas of the body when doing outdoor activities.

     DEET-containing insect repellents are effective and the public should take heed of the tips below:
 

• Read the label instructions carefully first;
• Apply right before entering an area with risk of mosquito bites;
• Apply on exposed skin and clothing;
• Use DEET of up to 30 per cent for pregnant women and up to 10 per cent for children*;
• Apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent; and
• Re-apply only when needed and follow the instructions.

* For children who travel to countries or areas where mosquito-borne diseases are endemic or epidemic and where exposure is likely, those aged 2 months or above can use DEET-containing insect repellents with a DEET concentration of up to 30 per cent.

     The public should call 1823 in case of mosquito problems and may visit the following pages for more information: the DF page of the CHP and the Travel Health Service, the latest Travel Health News, tips for using insect repellents, and the CHP Facebook Page and YouTube Channel.