Anti-mosquito measures remain the most effective way to combat chikungunya fever in Hong Kong, health authorities have said, as the vaccine is neither widely used worldwide nor approved locally.
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Dr Wong Hoi-kei, a senior medical and health officer from the Centre for Health Protection, also said on Monday that chikungunya fever was unlikely to become endemic in the city despite a medium to high risk of local transmission.
“The vaccine for chikungunya fever is still relatively new and has not been widely used in any countries,” he told a radio show.
“The World Health Organization and experts are still researching its safety and efficacy … the vaccine is only used on a small scale and very high-risk individuals for now.”
The most effective prevention was to avoid bites from mosquitoes and curb their breeding, Wong added.
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He also said that although the risk of imported cases of chikungunya fever was high, it remained “within expectations” due to the frequency of travel between Hong Kong and Guangdong.