China News Service, Hong Kong, October 23. In response to the strong demand for seasonal influenza vaccines and the tight global supply of influenza vaccines, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has provided an additional 100,000 doses of vaccine to the private medical market to encourage high-risk groups of influenza to be vaccinated as soon as possible.
The Secretary for Food and Health of the Special Administrative Region Government, Chen Zhaoshi, said in a meeting with the media on the 23rd that various seasonal influenza vaccination programs have been launched one after another, and the Special Administrative Region government will increase the overall supply of influenza vaccine.
Chen Zhaoshi said that the peak of influenza in Hong Kong this winter may overlap with the next wave of new crown pneumonia. In addition, the epidemic in other countries is still severe. The public should be aware of the return of the epidemic in the winter and stay vigilant.
The Center for Health Protection of the Department of Health of the Special Administrative Region Government announced on the 23rd that there were three new confirmed cases of imported new coronary pneumonia in Hong Kong. The patients arrived in Hong Kong from Pakistan, the United States, and India, and another case was epidemiologically related to the imported case.
The cumulative number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong so far has increased to 5284.
Chen Zhaoshi said that different airports around the world have started or tried some rapid tests for the new coronavirus, which is a big trend.
She revealed that the Department of Health has been testing different rapid tests to see if the sensitivity etc. are sufficient.
The Hong Kong International Airport will try out these tests and use them in conjunction with the tests currently in progress.
She emphasized that nucleic acid testing is the highest standard. The SAR government is cautious about the use of rapid tests, but welcomes effective and up-to-standard rapid tests.
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