Rotavirus vaccine is highly effective in preventing hospitalisation from rotavirus disease in young Hong Kong children.

Thoracoamniotic shunt has been considered as a treatment for antenatal pleural effusion and complication is rare. In majority of cases, the shunt can be removed uneventfully. In this article, we reported a rare complication of shunt migration resulting in the need of thoracoscopic removal at newborn period.The patient born at 39+3 weeks of gestation suffered from antenatal chylothorax detected at 28 weeks and was managed by intrauterine thoracoamniotic shunt insertion. This was complicated by shunt displacement, which caused respiratory distress after birth requiring ventilatory support and progressive pleural effusion in this patient. To prevent further neonatal compromise, thoracoscopic removal of the retained shunt was done on day 7 of life followed by post-op chest drain insertion. Post-op condition was stable with resolution of respiratory distress, and the patient was discharge on post-op day 16. We would like to remind clinicians about this potential complication of thoracoamniotic shunt, which can pose a potential risk of severe neonatal compromise, and that it can be managed by minimal invasive surgery even in the newborn period.

Seasonal influenza vaccine was effective in preventing hospitalisation from influenza A or B in young Hong Kong children during 2015 and 2016. As influenza vaccination status is not currently routinely recorded, implementation of an influenza immunisation status form in all paediatric wards, and centralising the data in Hong Kong's central computerised database, could provide real-time monitoring of influenza vaccine effectiveness.