The new pneumonia epidemic has entered a global vaccine race. Chief Executive Carrie Lam said this afternoon (11), Hong Kong late last month outbreak of the fourth wave of the epidemic, of which the source of unknown cases continue to rise, from the initial 17% to more than 30% recently, reflecting the existence of an invisible chain of transmission in Hong Kong. She mentioned the vaccine, the Hong Kong Government has on the one hand to participate in the WHO vaccine acquisition mechanism, on the other hand to different vaccine manufacturers to sign a procurement agreement, the goal of 7.5 million people in Hong Kong free vaccination, the Legislative Council has approved the reservation of more than $ 8.4 billion for the procurement and injection purposes.
She said the Hong Kong government will buy at least two new crown pneumonia vaccine, including two kinds of technical production, if one kind of problem, the other can be made up, the purchase of doses of two times the population of Hong Kong, that is, 15 million doses, such as each person to give two shots, it is necessary to buy 30 million doses.
She said that the Hong Kong government has to Kexing Holdings Biotechnology Company, the purchase of 7.5 million doses of inactivated vaccines, the first batch of 1 million doses to Hong Kong in January next year at the earliest; and another batch is by Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical, German pharmaceutical companies (BioNTech) and Pfizer (Pfizer) three pharmaceutical companies to cooperate in the development of ribonucleic acid, the same supply of 7.5 million doses, the first 1 million doses to Hong Kong in the first quarter of next year. The Hong Kong government is also discussing with a third pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, whose vaccine is a non-reproducible viral vector, and will also order 7.5 million doses, but the first 1 million doses will not arrive in Hong Kong until the second quarter of next year.
Asked why the purchase of the two suppliers of vaccines, Lin Cheng said that the procurement by the Scientific Committee to data and clinical decision, because the public money involved, so with the consent of the pharmaceutical companies, it is necessary to announce to the public what vaccines have been bought, but the purchase price is still confidential. She also mentioned that the public can not choose which vaccine to inject, and the vaccine delivery to Hong Kong, to be injected according to factors such as cohort. In addition, Fosun has found a logistics company and refrigerated warehouse to ensure that the vaccines are protected during transportation.
As for the alleged adverse reactions to the vaccines produced by Kexing, the Director of Health, Ms. Chan Hon-yee, added that the WHO and governments have stepped up efforts to develop successful and effective vaccines. 51 vaccines have entered human clinical trials, of which 13 have entered Phase III trials with four different technical platforms, including inactivated vaccines, virus carriers, protein fractions, and ribonucleic acid vaccines. She also pointed out that 13 Phase III vaccines will be procured in Hong Kong and will be determined by the latest data, and the clinical data are still in progress.
Secretary for Food and Health Chan Siu-chee said, compared to the past three waves of the epidemic, the fourth wave is now the most serious, 90% of patients with high viral infectivity, and the past two weeks the source of unknown cases, also from 137 cases per week rose 60% to 218 cases, and unknown cases also involve ordinary housewives, retirees and students, even if wearing masks are also infected, so reduce the number of outings is an effective way.
She also pointed out that this time the disease is more serious, from November to date has been more than 1,967 confirmed patients, more than 60 critical, more than 40 serious, according to front-line medical observations, the age of critical patients ranging from 27 to 95 years old, 45 critical patients, under 60 years old accounted for 10, under 50 years old accounted for 3, coupled with the current tight wards, 764 people in public hospitals, negative pressure wards and intensive care utilization rate of more than 70%.
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