Vaccine Health Guidelines 'vague And Insincere'

The head of the Medical Association Choi Kin on Tuesday criticised new guidelines from the Department of Health on who should not get vaccinated against Covid-19, saying they are vague and "insincere".

The guidelines were given to GPs on Monday following the deaths of several people who had recently received jabs from the mainland firm Sinovac. No link between the deaths and the vaccines has been established to date.

People suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes should not be inoculated against coronavirus until their medical condition is under control, the guidelines say, with a similar warning regarding people who have recently had a stroke.

But no specific parameters are set out, and doctors are left to come up with their own assessments.

Choi said this isn't fair for people with chronic illnesses, who could be told to hold off on getting a vaccine when it is actually suitable for them to receive one.

Choi also said that while he understands it is difficult for health officials to come up with such guidelines, he doesn't understand why people aged 60 and over are still being allowed to receive Sinovac jabs.

"Sinovac doesn't have clear guidelines on whether people 60 and above should get the shot, so why aren't we suspending vaccination for that category?" Choi asked on an RTHK programme.

"The [Department of Health] guidelines are not from the manufacturer. They are also vague and insincere," he said.

Choi also pointed out that it would be difficult for doctors to give advice to first-time patients.

Around 206,000 people in Hong Kong have now received their first dose of either the Sinovac jab or the vaccine made by German company BioNTech. Around 80 percent have taken the China-made vaccine, which was the first to arrive in the territory.