Hong Kong parents have been urged to get their children vaccinated against a life-threatening bacterial infection if they are heading overseas to study, following an uptick in cases in Britain and other popular school destinations.
The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Hong Kong made the call on Sunday after a survey it conducted earlier found that most parents were unaware of the health risks of meningococcal infection, to which young children and youths were vulnerable.
Its survey in late February revealed that about half of the 110 parents who planned to send their children abroad to study did not know about meningococcal disease and had misconceptions about the potentially fatal infection.
Society president So Yiu-wah said many parents had underestimated the health risks of the infection, with 30 per cent thinking it could be treated with paracetamol, and not knowing how life-threatening it was.
About one-fifth of respondents did not know the disease was preventable with vaccines. Only 40 per cent planned to get their children vaccinated against it.
“The number of invasive meningococcal infection cases in the UK increased sharply after the Covid-19 pandemic, with about 80 per cent being meningococcal B and half of them aged between 15 and 24 … this is concerning,” he said.
The UK Health Security Agency confirmed 205 cases of invasive meningococcal disease in England in 2021-22, compared with 80 in 2020-21 when pandemic restrictions were in place. In the two years before that, the number of cases ranged between 400 and 550 annually.
So said that in Europe and the United States the incidence of meningococcal B was highest among infants and children, but quite a lot of cases also involved teenagers.
“Most parents are sending their children aged between 15 and 18 abroad to study, they are the high-risk group and should take precautions as soon as possible.”
He said the vaccine targeting the type B infection had low coverage in the city because it was only invented in 2013 and parents generally were not aware of it.
Parents wishing to get their children vaccinated can consult their family doctor.
Meningococcal infections happen when the bacteria invade the bloodstream or the membranes that envelop the brain and spinal cord, resulting in fever, headache, skin rashes, brain damage or even death.
The condition could be complicated by inflammation of joints, the heart muscle and the posterior chamber of the eye.
The disease is mainly transmitted by droplets via sneezing or coughing, or by direct contact with respiratory secretions of those infected.
It has an incubation period of three to four days, but some could last for 10 days, with about 10 to 20 per cent of patients being asymptomatic.
Dr Mike Kwan Yat-wah, an honorary clinical associate professor from the University of Hong Kong’s department of paediatrics and adolescent medicine, said the bacteria causing meningococcal B was the predominant cause of invasive meningococcal disease in most countries.
Apart from the UK, Australia and New Zealand also reported a rise in infections after the pandemic.
Kwan said all preteens, people aged between 16 and 23, and adults with immunity problems should get vaccinated.
“Much evidence has suggested that meningococcal infection is an acute illness. The condition can deteriorate rapidly after infection, which offers limited time for treatment … some cases died less than 24 hours after infection,” he said.
Hong Kong’s health authorities recorded four cases of invasive meningococcal infection in the first half of 2024. Five cases were reported in 2023.
Before the pandemic, the city logged 10 and 14 cases in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
The Department of Health said the risk of acquiring a meningococcal infection while travelling was low in general but higher in sub-Saharan Africa – extending from Senegal to Ethiopia – during the dry season from December to June.
It recommends people get vaccinated if they are travelling to areas known to experience epidemic meningococcal disease.
