Scientist downplays local mass Covid outbreak fears

A co-convenor of the government panel on Covid vaccines has downplayed fears of a mass outbreak due to highly-infectious strains recently found here.

Professor Ivan Hung from the University of Hong Kong praised government efforts in containing the spread of the new variants.

He urged people to get vaccinated as soon as possible and not to wait for second generation jabs, which may not arrive until next year.

“The Pfizer BioNTech vaccine still remains effective against the South African strain, despite the antibody level dropping by about 60 percent,” he said. “

“But as the antibody achieved by the vaccine is very high so, even though the antibodies dropped against the South African variants, the vaccine still remains effective – the protection still effective against these variants.”

Hung said for the other vaccine in use in Hong Kong, Sinovac, there was currently no publications on its efficacy against the variants.