Health | Hong Kong residents request flu vaccines in Macau

Two private clinics in Macau have received requests for flu vaccines from Hong Kong residents over the Chinese New Year period, as the neighboring region is facing a shortage of flu vaccines in the private sector.

At least nine private clinics in Macau do not have flu vaccines in stock and one private clinic noted that it had been out of stock since late January, the South China Morning Post reported.

Lawmaker Chan Lek Lap said that his Hong Kong relative had been looking for two or three doses but failed to find any due to the regional shortage.

“My cousin from Hong Kong sought help from me because of a flu vaccine shortage in Hong Kong this year. But she could not get any vaccine in the end as private clinics cannot order extra,” said Chan, who is also a medic.

The government acquired a significant amount of the available stock earlier this year, as the private market faces this acute shortage.

The Health Bureau (SSM) said that it has a reserve of antiviral medicines for up to 180,000 people, and a three-month supply of epidemic-prevention stock.

Hong Kong suffers from the shortage of flu vaccines, with private doctors complaining they have been out of stock for over two months.

Although extra batches of foreign-made vaccines are due for delivery in the neighboring city, they will not arrive in time to immunize students who went back to school yesterday.

Doctors are calling on the government to release the unused vaccines reserved for high-risk patients to the public sector.