Editorial | Consumer Council right to flag issues around child vaccinations
Parents should heed the watchdog’s advice of avoiding prepaid vaccination schemes without prior medical consultation
Under the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme, almost all eligible young people from birth to Primary Six are provided with free vaccination services targeting 12 infectious diseases, including measles and hepatitis B. Some parents opt for additional coverage, such as gastrointestinal virus infections and meningitis, offered by private healthcare facilities.
The prices of the schemes ranged from HK$3,000 (US$386) for two diseases to HK$14,680 covering six, according to the Consumer Council. But most providers required consumers to prepay in full and would not offer full refunds in the event of the child being deemed unfit for the jabs. Only one of the 19 schemes checked by the council allowed pay-as-you-go and cancellation with a full refund within seven days of purchase, subject to a 5 per cent administrative fee.
Credit goes to the watchdog for flagging the issues, which have not received the attention they deserve. Like other transactions where problems are often buried in the fine print, the price information of the jabs as shown on the websites of some providers was described as ambiguous. The lack of transparency means consumers could find themselves in a disadvantageous position when disputes emerge.
Given that full refunds are unlikely if the children turn out to be unfit for certain jabs, parents should also heed the advice of avoiding prepaid vaccination schemes without prior medical consultation.