Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
Hong Kong medical experts expect an increase in Covid-19 cases in the next two months. They are asking people who are considered “high-risk” to get the latest vaccine jabs before the Lunar New Year begins.
Professor Ivan Hung Fan-ngai works at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). He said the rise in Covid-19 cases could affect vulnerable groups such as elderly people, children and people whose bodies struggle to fight disease.
He added that everyone should get another jab, but high-risk groups should prioritise it as they are more likely to be hospitalised or die from Covid-19.
Hung encouraged high-risk groups to get the latest vaccine targeting the XBB virus variant soon. This will give their immune systems time to strengthen before the holiday. This XBB-targeting jab is also effective against the JN.1 strain. The scholar said this vaccine offered a “much better boosting effect of up to about 20 to 30 times”.
Medical experts also recommended people get “mixed” jabs. For example, people who got the Sinovac jab could get BioNTech or Moderna mRNA booster shots next.
“Some studies actually showed that if you have been receiving BioNTech and cross over to receive the Moderna vaccine, the antibody ... is even better,” Hung noted.
Quiz time
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When do Hong Kong medical experts expect a rise in Covid-19 cases?
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Which types of people are considered to be “high risk”?
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Why does Professor Hung recommend that vulnerable groups get the latest vaccine as soon as possible?
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According to medical experts, what is the purpose of getting “mixed” jabs?
Sample answers
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Hong Kong medical experts expect a rise in Covid-19 cases over the next two months.
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Elderly people, children and people who struggle to fight off infections are considered high risk.
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Getting the latest vaccine as soon as possible will help their immune systems to strengthen before the holiday. The latest jab will also protect from the newer virus strains.
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Getting a Covid-19 booster made by a different company compared to their initial shots could make the antibody better, meaning it can help us fight off infection.
