Be Prepared For Low Vaccination Rate, Experts Warn

Researchers at Chinese University said on Tuesday that Hong Kong should be prepared for a low take-up rate for Covid-19 vaccinations, with only 37 percent of respondents to a survey saying they were willing to get the jabs.

“We think this is rather low and it is well below what we would like to see, which is 70 percent for some substantial effect on our campaign to fight against Covid,” said Paul Chan, the chairman of the university’s department of microbiology.

He added that Hong Kong’s acceptance rate for coronavirus vaccines is low compared to other parts of the world, where the rate ranges between 60 and 90 percent.

The acceptance rate might have gone down even further by now, warned Chan, as he noted that the CUHK researchers conducted their survey between July and August last year and that similar surveys overseas suggest people’s receptiveness to the vaccines wanes over time.

“They do see a decrease, rather than an increase in acceptance rate, so perhaps in Hong Kong we should prepare for a low acceptance rate as a more conservative measure,” said Chan.

The poll, covering more than 1,000 people, also asked respondents about factors affecting their vaccination decisions.

It found that people were more willing to get vaccinated if the government recommend that they did so.

Chan urged the government to do more to clear up misunderstandings over coronavirus vaccines to help people make an informed choice.

“The side effects and the inconvenience perceived by the public are equally strong barriers, and then for the drivers, we find that people really want to understand the severity, the outcome to themselves before they take the vaccine,” he explained.

He also suggested that the government could roll out incentives such as issuing vaccination certificates.