By Connor Mycroft

Copyright scmp

Hong Kong parents should not buy private prepaid vaccination plans for their children without prior medical consultation, the city’s consumer watchdog has said, after finding that most service providers do not offer full refunds even if a child is deemed unfit for a jab.
The Consumer Council on Monday also called on private medical facilities and other service providers to be more transparent in their pricing after discovering that 95 per cent of those surveyed required residents to prepay in full.
“The Council urges service providers to enhance transparency by clearly listing the types of vaccines covered and the detailed charges of each scheme,” it said.
“Any additional charges or refund arrangements should be clearly explained before payment, and consumers should be allowed to consult a doctor prior to making payment.”
Under the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme, almost all eligible young people from birth through to Primary Six are provided with free vaccination services targeting 12 infectious diseases, such as measles and hepatitis B.
However, some parents opt to purchase additional coverage offered by private healthcare facilities or other medical groups.
Between July and August, the Consumer Council surveyed the service charges of 19 child vaccination schemes not covered by the government’s programme, which were offered by nine service providers.
The surveyed schemes mainly covered non-government-subsidised vaccines preventing gastrointestinal viral infections and meningitis, while some also covered meningococcal disease and hepatitis A.
Prices of the schemes ranged from HK$3,000 (US$386) offered by Hong Kong Hearts Medical Group, which covered two diseases, to the HK$14,680 plan provided by Medicare Group, which covered six.
The council found that only a HK$3,500 package provided by New Town Medical allowed residents to opt for a pay-as-you-go plan rather than prepaying ahead of time.
It was also the only service provider that allowed consumers to cancel their plan and obtain a full refund within seven days of purchase, subject to a 5 per cent administrative fee.
The remaining service providers – Hong Kong Hearts Medical Group, Medicare Group, Trinity Medical Centre, Wellness Centre, WeWell Healthcare, Medtimes Medical Group, Human Health, and Kinetic Medical & Health Group – all required full prepayment.
Among the eight service providers that required full prepayment, Hong Kong Hearts Medical Group offered no refunds and only allowed payments to be transferred to another plan.
Others required some combination of a doctor’s certificate or a handling fee.

Medicare Group and Medtimes Medical Group said there would be no refunds offered except in “special circumstances”, with the latter saying it would be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Human Health required a doctor’s certificate to be eligible for a refund, while also charging HK$300 to HK$350 for a doctor’s assessment. Kinetics Medical & Health Group charged HK$150 or 3.5 per cent of the total amount paid, whichever was higher.
WeWell Healthcare would provide a refund if a doctor assessed the child was unsuitable for the vaccines, subject to a 5 per cent handling fee, though a medical consultation would cost HK$200.
Trinity Medical Centre would only provide a refund if a doctor’s pre-vaccination assessment deemed the child unsuitable, while Wellness Centre allowed for a refund based on the proportion of vaccines administered.
The Consumer Council said parents wishing to enrol their children in a private vaccine programme should consult a paediatrician or their family doctor beforehand.
“The council also reminds consumers to avoid purchasing prepaid vaccination schemes without prior medical consultation,” it said.