Gabriel Leung: HK to decide on strategy for Covid-19 vaccine

22/07/2020

Hong Kong is preparing to purchase vaccines against the new coronavirus, Professor Gabriel Leung, government adviser and head of the medical school at the University of Hong Kong, told South China Morning Post.

“In the near future, the government should be able to decide on the procurement strategy,” he said. “Which types of vaccines to purchase, how to purchase, how to implement the details … [plans on] all these should be done soon.”

Leung pointed out that Hong Kong was late in the move as some other authorities had approached Leung for procurement advice three months ago and several had made orders already.

Two vaccines developed by scientists from Oxford University and mainland China made breakthroughs in the early trial results which produced immune responses in participants according to papers published in the Lancet medical journal on Monday.

As Hong Kong has seen surging infections with hundreds of local Covid-19 cases since July 5 – residents have increasingly sought out tests at private and public hospitals in larger numbers.

Professor Keiji Fukuda, director of the HKU’s School of Public Health, urged the public without symptoms not to take the test which could burden health services.

“It does not help to rush for testing when you do not have symptoms unless you are part of a formal study or surveillance initiative. You want to test when you have a clear purpose; otherwise, you simply waste the effort,” Fukuda said.