'Surge In Flu Jab Demand Causing Vaccine Shortage'

The head of a private doctors' group said on Monday that a rise in demand for flu jabs ahead of an expected Covid wave this winter has led to "an unprecedented shortage" of vaccine on the market.

Henry Yeung of the Doctors Union said its members estimate they are about 30,000 doses short, and he hopes the administration can spare a tenth of this to deal with urgent demand.

He said he had spoken to Secretary for Health Sophia Chan about this over the weekend but she didn't agree to the request right away.

"The government should make a quick decision: the people are worried, parents are worried. Their children took the first jab, but they don't know whether there's a second one coming," Yeung told an RTHK programme.

He said demand for flu vaccinations has tripled, probably because of Covid-19. He added that some people, who have refused to take a jab for more than a decade, have now asked for one.

Yeung said some elderly people, who would normally go to a public clinic for a flu shot, have been going to the private sector instead to get the jabs early. He said the surge in demand had led to about 200 doctors running out of vaccine stock.

The Hospital Authority said over the weekend that it will start administering flu vaccinations for eligible groups this Thursday.

They include elderly and disabled people, as well as poultry and pig farmers, and slaughterhouse workers who get a referral from the government.