Hongkongers should get Covid XBB variant jabs, flu shots ahead of Lunar New Year amid higher outbreak risk, medical expert says
- Professor Ivan Hung says about 80 per cent of cases at Queen Mary Hospital’s isolation ward are related to Covid-19
- Hung says ‘useless to get more Sinovac boosters’, advises residents to opt for BioNTech or Moderna mRNA booster
Hongkongers should get vaccinated with the latest generation of Covid-19 jabs and flu shots ahead of Lunar New Year, as the risk of an outbreak will be higher amid a surge in social gatherings, a medical expert has said.
Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, chair professor of infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong, on Saturday said about 80 per cent of cases in the isolation ward of Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam were related to Covid-19, while there was only one report of a flu infection.
The flu outbreak was waning after peaking last month, with patients being mostly elderly residents or people with chronic diseases.
“Although the number of severe flu cases was comparatively less, we should not let down our guard. The number of cases will probably go up during the Lunar New Year holiday as there will be more movement,” he said on a radio programme, referring to cross-border travel.
He urged those under high-risk groups to avoid crowded places and wear masks on public transport.
“There is still enough time to get vaccinated before the Lunar New Year holiday. Children, the elderly and patients with chronic illnesses should get a booster jab against Covid and the flu as soon as possible,” he said.
Lunar New Year begins on February 10.
Hung said those with cold symptoms such as a cough without a fever could still get vaccinated.
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He advised residents who initially received Sinovac shots to opt for the BioNTech or Moderna mRNA booster, saying that the Sinovac vaccines did not provide protection against the XBB variant and the circulating JN.1 strain.
Hongkongers, particularly those 50 or above, should get an XBB booster, he said.
“Some patients who have received three, four or five shots of the Sinovac vaccine are still in a severe condition after getting Covid-19 … they should take the XBB booster, regardless of whether it is the BioNTech or Moderna mRNA booster,” he said, adding that people could easily get inoculated at government and private clinics.
“It is now useless to get more Sinovac boosters.
“For the elderly, they should switch the [vaccine type] as it is extremely safe for them to do so.”
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He said “mixing” up jabs could provide more protection against the new variant.
The professor also said the side-effects of receiving jabs from different manufactures were mild among the elderly compared with younger people, according to previous studies.
“Don’t worry, my parents are over 80 years old and they got the BioNTech booster. They experienced no side-effects and they did not feel pain on the injection site either,” he said.
