Hongkonger’s worsening eczema, food allergies fuel her doubts over Covid jabs
Experts say there must be better health communication and efforts to raise awareness in a future pandemic
In this series of stories to mark five years since Hong Kong recorded its first Covid-19 case on January 22, 2020, the Post looks at how some residents’ lives changed and examines the city’s readiness for the next global pandemic.
The Covid-19 pandemic is over, but Hongkonger Eunice To continues to cope with a severe skin condition and health issues she is convinced were triggered by vaccines.
The 26-year-old has no proof, and doctors she saw were divided on whether the vaccines could be blamed. But what she knows is that she broke out with debilitating eczema and discovered 40 food allergies only after receiving her jabs.
She did not regret getting vaccinated – it helped her secure her former job in the welfare sector – but her ongoing ordeal left her questioning public health policies and expert’s opinions.
“The next time I’m told to take a vaccine, I’ll be far more cautious,” she said.
The Covid-19 pandemic exposed significant vaccine hesitance in Hong Kong, as people initially resisted government calls to protect themselves by getting their jabs.
