'Few Kids Will Be Affected By Vaccine Pass Extension'

Civil service minister Ingrid Yeung says she doesn't expect many children between the ages of five and 11 to be barred from entering regulated places like restaurants when the vaccine pass requirement is extended to cover them.

From September 30, children belonging to this age group will be required to have at least received one jab to enter premises that actively check the vaccine pass.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Yeung, who's in charge of the city’s vaccination drive, said that out of 400,000 children in this age group, only around 50,000 are unvaccinated.

She said officials will do more to encourage parents to get their children jabbed.

"We need to keep promoting the jabs and providing information to parents. The busy start of the new academic year is over, so we will focus on more promotion at schools, online and at shopping malls," Yeung said.

On reports that two toddlers suffered from Bell’s palsy after receiving Covid shots, Yeung cited a paediatrician as saying that the condition is most likely temporary, and may also appear when children receive other vaccines.

Separately, the government will start offering free flu shots to residents aged 50 or above at its Covid community vaccination centres starting October 6.

Yeung made clear that people who visit these jab centres will need to get both injections, adding that if they only want a flu jab, they’d have to go elsewhere.

"In past years we have many, many outlets for delivering the flu vaccine, and this year's the same. We have not reduced the outlets, so people have plenty of venues to go to," she said.