Not Enough Flu Vaccines in HK

Sophia Chan gets her flu jab today and urges everyone else too

 

We were warned a few months ago that the winter months would be bad because of the double whammy of flu season and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Medical experts in Hong Kong have warned people should get their flu shots early this year to keep the number of influenza-related illnesses down.

But there are not enough flu jabs to go around

Earlier today Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee made the appeal as she got her flu jab.

But how can we get the flu vaccine if there isn't enough for all 7.8 million residents?

Apparently the city has only ordered 878,000 doses of the flu vaccine that will arrive next month, and has yet to secure another 100,000 doses.

Director of Health, Dr Constance Chan Hon-yee says the government is trying to contact various pharmaceutical companies to get enough additional doses to meet a surge in demand.

"We ordered [more] doses additionally. We have ordered, and hope that they could arrive by mid-November," Chan said, adding the government would like to purchase more vaccine, but "this wish might not be realized".

Constance Chan says more flu jabs on the way

There is a government program to provide subsidized flu jabs to people in high-risk groups, such as those aged 50 and above, children and pregnant women when they visit participating private clinics.

For those who don't fall into those categories should practice good hygiene (how many times have we heard this over the past 10 months?) and have healthy living conditions.

How reassuring.

University of Hong Kong microbiologist Professor Ho Pak-leung says the number of doses procured by the government is the highest in the past four years, but will still not be enough.

"Referring to the winter flu peak period last year, the demand for primary school students and the elderly reached more than 800,000 doses of vaccine and that will definitely not be enough to meet demand this year," he said.

Leung says Hong Kong needs more flu vaccines

Hopefully those in the aforementioned high-risk groups will get the injections, and as for the rest of us, keep washing your hands with soap for 20 seconds and wear a mask!