Giuseppe
Emeritus
Hong Kong: SFH on central slaughtering and human swine flu vaccine (3/24/10)
[Source: Government of Hong Kong PRC SAR, View Original Article. Edited.]
Following is a transcript (English portion) of the remarks by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, at a media stand-up session in the Legislative Council Building today (March 24):
Reporter:
When will the consultancy study on the poultry slaughtering plant be finished? Are you still going ahead with it?
Secretary for Food and Health:
It all depends on the finding of the consultancy study. The reason we are doing this is since 2008, our retail and farm capacity has decreased. The supply of live chickens to Hong Kong has decreased from 60,000 a day to now 14,000 a day. With that amount of supply, we have to really gauge whether there is still an economic viability for a central slaughtering plant. That is the reason why we have to do an analysis of such a viability and to gauge the acceptance of the public and consumers regarding centrally-slaughtered chickens, whether they will be willing to pay certain prices for such a supply.With that, we will be able to decide on a second stage whether we will go ahead or perhaps put this aside.
Reporter:
Is avian flu still a threat?
Secretary for Food and Health:
At the same time, we will be doing an analysis of the risk of avian flu in our markets and farms, and the region in general. We will be monitoring the endemic H9 virus in the chickens to see whether our current policy of clearing all the chickens at the retail level (every day) and to ensure the stay of chickens in the wholesale market will not exceed a day is going to help. So with that scientific finding, we will be able to decide on the second stage.
Reporter:
The take up rate of the swine flu vaccine is very low. Would you consider expanding the free flu vaccination programme to primary, secondary and university students?
Secretary for Food and Health:
According to the experts, there are special indications for the so-called at-risk groups to receive vaccine. For the non at-risk groups, they can decide in their own interest whether to have the vaccine. I don't think offering vaccine free to people will be appropriate.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript)
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[Source: Government of Hong Kong PRC SAR, View Original Article. Edited.]
Following is a transcript (English portion) of the remarks by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, at a media stand-up session in the Legislative Council Building today (March 24):
Reporter:
When will the consultancy study on the poultry slaughtering plant be finished? Are you still going ahead with it?
Secretary for Food and Health:
It all depends on the finding of the consultancy study. The reason we are doing this is since 2008, our retail and farm capacity has decreased. The supply of live chickens to Hong Kong has decreased from 60,000 a day to now 14,000 a day. With that amount of supply, we have to really gauge whether there is still an economic viability for a central slaughtering plant. That is the reason why we have to do an analysis of such a viability and to gauge the acceptance of the public and consumers regarding centrally-slaughtered chickens, whether they will be willing to pay certain prices for such a supply.With that, we will be able to decide on a second stage whether we will go ahead or perhaps put this aside.
Reporter:
Is avian flu still a threat?
Secretary for Food and Health:
At the same time, we will be doing an analysis of the risk of avian flu in our markets and farms, and the region in general. We will be monitoring the endemic H9 virus in the chickens to see whether our current policy of clearing all the chickens at the retail level (every day) and to ensure the stay of chickens in the wholesale market will not exceed a day is going to help. So with that scientific finding, we will be able to decide on the second stage.
Reporter:
The take up rate of the swine flu vaccine is very low. Would you consider expanding the free flu vaccination programme to primary, secondary and university students?
Secretary for Food and Health:
According to the experts, there are special indications for the so-called at-risk groups to receive vaccine. For the non at-risk groups, they can decide in their own interest whether to have the vaccine. I don't think offering vaccine free to people will be appropriate.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript)
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------