Hong Kong pupils studying abroad urged to get jabs against life-threatening infection

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.