Don't Let Your Guard Down After First Jab: Expert

An infectious diseases expert said on Thursday that people shouldn't let their guard down after they receive their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, as it wouldn't have generated enough protection.

Joseph Tsang of the Medical Association was speaking on an RTHK programme after a policeman was found to have the disease two days after getting the Sinovac jab.

Tsang explained that for people's immune systems to generate sufficient antibodies against the coronavirus, they need to receive both doses as required by the manufacturers.

He said it's likely that the officer was infected before he got his shot, or that he had let his guard down afterwards.

"It is crucial that we receive the second dose because we need to reawaken our immune system to create more antibodies so that they can reach a high-enough level that can last a long time,” Tsang said.

"I would like to appeal to people not to lower their guard after receiving the first dose, and think they can hang out with friends and engage in all sorts of social activities and forget about personal hygiene.”

The expert also said because existing anti-epidemic measures no longer seem very effective in preventing outbreaks, it is all the more important for Hongkongers to be inoculated to achieve herd immunity.

But an officer with the Society for Community Organisation, Lin Wai-kiu, said there had been a spike in the number of elderly people coming to their centres asking to cancel their bookings for vaccines after several deaths were reported.

He said some of them are now hesitant to get the jabs due to health concerns.

Lin added that it's difficult for some elderly people to get medical advice because some of them simply don't have a family doctor.

“I’ve even heard of some people visiting the accident and emergency units at public hospitals to seek doctors’ views,” he said.