Govt To Arrange BioNTech Jabs In Care Homes

The Elderly Services Association said on Friday that the Social Welfare Department will arrange outreach teams to inoculate elderly people in care homes with BioNTech coronavirus jabs.

On an RTHK programme, the association’s chairman, Kenneth Chan, said it is good that both Sinovac and BioNTech jabs will now be available to care home residents.

Dr Kwong Kin-hung of the Human Health group, which has been administering Sinovac jabs in homes, said BioNTech vaccination can also be arranged on site.

But he noted that one BioNTech vial has to be diluted into six or seven parts and the process may be more complicated in smaller care homes.

“As long as they can arrange a clean area for us to dilute the jabs, it’s fine. But small care homes lack manpower now, so it’s rather hard for them to make arrangements,” he said.

Kwong said most elderly people will choose Sinovac over BioNTech, saying some are worried about possible side effects from the BioNTech vaccine.

Chan echoed this view, saying some care home residents haven’t had a jab because they were infected with Covid, and not because the BioNTech shot was not available to them at care homes.

He said he believes the goal of getting 90 percent of the elderly residents inoculated – up from around 55 percent currently – can be achieved by the end of next month.

“Since the fifth wave of infections erupted, most relatives of the residents understand the importance of getting jabbed. Many of the infected elderly people who suffered serious symptoms or passed away were unvaccinated,” he said.

“So actually only a minority of them are not willing to get jabbed.”

Chan added that some people have changed their minds and agreed to vaccinate their elderly relatives after speaking to home staff or doctors.