No City-wide Measles Campaign Needed, Says Govt

Health Secretary Sophia Chan has ruled out a territory-wide measles vaccination campaign for all those who aren't already protected against the disease, saying priority should be given to airport staff, hospital workers and children.

Since the beginning of this year, 26 people have come down with the highly contagious disease, many of them airport workers. This figure is already higher than the 15 cases recorded across the whole of last year.

Vaccinations centres have been set up at the airport to offer workers there measles jabs.

Several legislators raised the outbreak during an urgent question session with the health minister in Legco on Wednesday.

The DAB's Elizabeth Quat wanted to know whether the authorities should declare a measles "emergency" and offer free jabs for all those born before 1967, when the vaccinations were not provided to children.

The Democratic Party's Helena Wong, meanwhile, noted that those born between 1967 and 1985 might not be sufficiently protected against the disease and the authorities should also consider jabs for these people, as well as new arrivals in the city.

In response, Chan reassured legislators that the administration is closely monitoring developments. She also said that a wider vaccination campaign is not required.

"We have not underestimated the situation," she told them.

"In the last week, we understand from the pharmaceutical companies that they have actually supplied to private doctors and private clinics a total of 31,000 doses of vaccine. And going forward, they will be distributing another 10,000. So this will go on," Chan said.