BioNTech Centres For Children To Extend Hours

The government says it is extending the opening hours of four community vaccination centres designated for children on weekends and public holiday.

The four vaccination centres at Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Yuen Chau Kok Sports Centre and Tsuen Wan Sports Centre only administer the BioNTech Covid vaccine.

From Saturday, they will open between 8am and 8pm on weekends and public holiday.

But on weekdays, they will operate as usual from 10am to 6pm.

The arrangement will last for around three weeks until May 15.

Civil service secretary Patrick Nip, who oversees the city’s inoculation drive, said on Wednesday that the government is “sparing no effort” to boost the vaccination rate among children.

“With serious and even fatal cases involving children being recorded during the fifth wave of the epidemic, parents or guardians should face squarely children's risk of serious illness and death from infection, and arrange Covid-19 vaccination for their children as soon as possible," he said in a statement.