Government To Cut Vaccine Age Limit, Add More Groups

The official heading the government's vaccination drive said on Sunday that they will lower the age limit for people to sign up for Covid-19 inoculation, while also adding more high-risk groups to the eligible list

Civil Service Secretary Patrick Nip, the government's point man on inoculation, said the expansion would happen "soon".

Since the vaccination campaign began last month, people considered to be at high risk – such as those aged 60 and over, health workers, and gym, school and public transport staff – are eligible for either a Sinovac or BioNTech jab.

Writing on his Facebook page after he visited a vaccination centre in Kowloon Tong, Nip revealed that the government was planning to reduce the age limit from 60.

He added that many in the expanded priority list will be spared providing proof of employment, to cut down on administrative procedures. He also announced that 12 further vaccination centres would open on Tuesday.

The government will also start giving the jabs to athletes and staff at the Hong Kong Sports Institute from the week of March 22.

Its chairman, Lam Tai-fai, said the 500 full-time athletes and 500 staff members at the institute can choose between the two vaccines offered under the programme or opt out of the vaccination.

Meanwhile Secretary for Health Sophia Chan said on her blog,that about 177,000 people had been inoculated so far. She confirmed that more categories of people would be added to the eligible list.

She again urged those who are already eligible for a jab to get one, adding that the Department of Health would work with the University of Hong Kong to evaluate if there was any link between the vaccine and cases of death or serious illness.

"The Sinovac and BioNtech vaccines approved for emergency use by the SAR government have all gone through assessment by experts and have been deemed safe, effective and quality assured, and their benefits outweigh the risks. We should believe in science!" Chan wrote.

So far, six people who have received a Sinovac vaccination have later died. Experts have so far said the first two deaths were not vaccine-related and are still studying the other cases.

Nip said the government's expert committee studying clinical events after inoculation will meet on Monday to discuss the latest cases

That includes the deaths of two vaccinated men with chronic illnesses and another who suffered a stroke. Nip added that the government would release details of its plans to expand its vaccination scheme "soon."

Meanwhile, another medical expert advising the government has taken a coronavirus jab.

David Hui, a professor of respiratory medicine at the Chinese University, received the BioNTech vaccine along with a number of his colleagues, according to a post on CUHK Medicine's Facebook account.

Both the medical schools of Chinese University and University of Hong Kong have been allocated the BioNTech vaccine.

University of Hong Kong microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung took the BioNTech jab a week earlier, explaining that he needed a vaccine with higher efficacy because his work involved contacting patients and visiting sites that had seen outbreaks.

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