Hong Kong to open mpox vaccination centre on Thursday, as authorities warn outbreak among high-risk groups still possible
- Vaccination centre on Argyle Street in Mong Kok will operate 9am to 8pm on Monday to Friday, except during public holidays
- Health authorities say mpox transmission could have occurred among local high-risk groups after city records four patients this month with no travel history
Hong Kong will open a dedicated mpox vaccination centre on Thursday, as health authorities warned they could not rule out the possibility of an outbreak among high-risk groups in the city.
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) on Wednesday said half of the 16 cases recorded so far in the city were from this month, including four patients with no travel history who were believed to have been infected locally by unknown sources.
“The results reflected mpox virus transmission might have occurred among local high-risk groups and cannot rule out the possibility of an outbreak,” it said, referring to the viral disease previously known as monkeypox.
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According to health authorities, high-risk groups include anyone engaging in promiscuous sexual behaviour, healthcare workers and laboratory staff studying zoonotic pox viruses.
The dedicated vaccination centre is located a the centre’s building on Argyle Street in Mong Kok and will operate between 9am to 8pm from Monday to Friday, except during public holidays. Patients can book an appointment by phone or email.
The city launched a voluntary mpox vaccination scheme last October in a bid to protect high-risk groups and has administered more than 10,000 jabs as of June 30.
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Hong Kong’s 16 cases all involve men aged 25 to 59. The eight cases recorded this month said they had sexual intercourse with other men and engaged in high-risk behaviour during the disease’s incubation period.
The centre said it was working alongside NGOs to give advice to high-risk groups, including the need to be inoculated against the disease.
“Vaccination is an effective way to prevent mpox and the CHP strongly urges high-risk individuals to get vaccinated early and seek medical attention as soon as possible if they experience mpox symptoms,” it said.
According to health authorities, 11 of the infected people were not inoculated and another two did not receive the necessary second vaccine dose.
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Anyone who has previously contracted smallpox only requires one dose to be fully vaccinated against mpox.
Mpox is generally transmitted through direct contact with infectious lesions or sexual intercourse with symptomatic patients. Sex with multiple partners, strangers or without protection is considered high-risk behaviour.
Symptoms include fever and an intense headache several days after infection, while skin and mouth lesions appear up to three days after the onset of fever.
Patients can typically recover without treatment. But the fatality rate during past outbreaks has stood between 1 and 10 per cent.
