Clinics Run Out Of Measles Jabs, Others Cashing In

Private clinics across Hong Kong are running out of measles vaccinations amid an outbreak that has so far left 30 people sick, while those luckily enough to find available doses are being quoted prices as high as HK$1,800.

On Wednesday, health officials said pharmaceutical companies had provided private doctors and clinics in the SAR with some 30,000 measles jabs over the past week and more are on the way.

But when RTHK reporters posed as customers looking to be given the vaccination, they found that clinics of several major medical groups had no jabs available and none were sure when they would get hold of further doses.

Two clinics belonging to one group, in Tseung Kwan O and Kwun Tong, said they did have a small number of measles jabs left, but a vaccination would set each patient back HK$1,800.

Asked whether the price had recently been put up, staff said only that this is the current charge.

Meanwhile, some private hospitals said they were arranging to pick up measles vaccinations from a supplier.

They said would-be patients hoping to receive one would first have to undergo an antibody test for HK$600, to check whether they are already protected against the disease or not.