There are two million consumers in Chinese mainland who have chosen to go to Hong Kong to pay for a course of three shots of the vaccine Gardasil 9 at privately-run clinics in the city to immunise against the human papilloma virus (HPV), which will less the risk of cervical cancer. The huge vaccine demand from the mainland has produced an industry chain in Hong Kong.
However, hundreds of Chinese mainland women were told that they will not be able to complete a course of three shots of vaccines because of the shortage of the HPV vaccines in Hong Kong. The women are threatening legal action to protest against the Hong Kong clinics and maintain the consumers’ rights.
The vaccine totally has three shots, but a number of medical institutions in Hong Kong recently issued they have received official news from Merck &Co pharmaceutical company that they had suspended the supply of HPV vaccines. Many women had finished one or two jabs before the clinics informed the notice last week and the clinics cannot guarantee when the HPV vaccines can be available.
However, after the announcement of the “vaccine emergency”, some Hong Kong medical clinics were still serving the first jab for customers. Some agencies for vaccines in Hong Kong are still finding new customers even if the HPV vaccines are limited. Despite the customer having paid all of the money, the clinics cannot guarantee the availability of the vaccine.
Doctors suggest all three shots should be done within six months or one year at the most is otherwise the first one or two shots taken would be invalid.
Meizhao physical examination center, one of the clinics that clients can get service for HPV vaccines, states that they cannot guarantee the three shots be finished in one year. One customer from Chinese mainland Gan went to Hong Kong Meizhao to get her second shot.
“Before I got my second shot, the staff took a secret contract to me and asked me do a signature; otherwise they would not give me the second shot. The contract said they can’t finish the three shots in one year due to the shortage of the vaccines,” Gan told Chinanews.
“I had paid all of money for the treatment. They should guarantee I can receive my shots dose within the ideal period of one year. This made my money and time spent on taking the first dose useless,” Gan added.
Most of the Chinese mainland consumers who have applied the nine-valent cervical cancer vaccines at Hong Kong medical clinics have been provided the service by an agent. The prices range from 5,000 to 8,000 Hong Kong dollars (637 to 1,019 US dollars), for three shots. The shortage of vaccine and growing demands have driven up prices.
Customers need to pay up to 10,000 Hong Kong dollars or around 1,200 US dollars for the three shots of the Gardasil 9 vaccination, almost triple from two or three years ago, let along the travel expenses.
The Hong Kong Consumer Council received 444 complaints about vaccine delays last year and most about HPV jabs, according to figures from the council. South China Morning Post reported.
Gardasil 9 is made by the US drug company Merck – known as MSD outside the US and Canada – and the company issued a notice in Hong Kong at the end of last month warning of shortages of the vaccine. The vaccine has been used in Western countries for over 10 years, but only approved in China since 2016. The Gardasil 9 was approved on the Hong Kong market in 2016 and just approved by Chinese mainland regulators last month.
