Hong Kong’s private healthcare providers expected to offer RSV vaccine from mid-December, but experts say more data needed to decide if public sector should follow suit
- British pharmaceutical company GSK beats Pfizer in race to offer vaccine that can protect elderly against common respiratory infection
- GSK says it hopes to start discussions with health authorities on providing the vaccine in public sector
Hong Kong’s private healthcare sector is expected to start offering a vaccine to protect older people against a common respiratory infection from next month.
Experts told the Post more clinical data was needed before deciding if the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine should be included in public programmes.
RSV can cause infections in the airways, lungs and middle ear, with young children and the elderly more likely to develop serious conditions if infected.
Hong Kong is the second market in Asia after Japan to approve the vaccine Arexvy, made by British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The shot was registered in the city on October 20.
Raj Bhatti, vice-president and general manager of GSK Hong Kong and Macau, told the Post that the company was taking pre-orders from some private clinics and hospitals.
