LCQ13: COVID-19 Vaccination Programme
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     Following is a question by Dr the Hon Pierre Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, in the Legislative Council today (July 7):
 
Question:
 
     Regarding the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the respective up-to-date numbers of persons who have received vaccination at (i) Community Vaccination Centres and designated general outpatient clinics and (ii) designated private clinics, and set out, by the category of vaccinees, (a) the number of those who have received one dose of vaccine, (b) the number of those who have received two doses of vaccine, and (c) the percentage of those who have received two doses of vaccine in the population of that category (set out in tables of the same format as Table 1);
 
Table 1
Type of venue at which vaccinations were administered:
Category of vaccinees (a) (b) (c)
Personnel in healthcare settings and those participating in anti-epidemic work      
Residents and staff of residential care homes for the elderly/persons with disabilities (PWDs), and staff of Community Care Service units for the elderly/PWDs      
Personnel maintaining critical public services (including employees of Government service contractors)      
Personnel working for cross-boundary transportation and those working at control points and ports      
Registered construction workers and other resident site personnel      
Practitioners of public transport (e.g. taxi/bus/public light bus drivers, train captains and station staff)      
Staff of food and beverages premises, markets, supermarkets, convenience stores and couriers (including couriers for takeaway food delivery)      
Personnel of property management (e.g. security guards, cleaning staff and property management office staff)      
Teachers and school staff (e.g. teaching and school staff as well as support personnel of kindergartens, primary and secondary schools and universities; staff of special schools; drivers and escorts of school buses/school private light buses)      
Practitioners of the tourism industry      
Staff of scheduled premises under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) (e.g. staff of fitness centres and beauty parlours)      
Domestic helpers      
Others (persons who do not belong to any of the above groups)      
Total:      
 
(2) of the respective up-to-date numbers of (i) disciplined services staff and (ii) civil servants (including disciplined services staff) who have received vaccination, and set out, by the staff categories listed in Table 2, among such persons, (a) the number of those who have received one dose of vaccine and (b) the number of those who have received two doses of vaccine, and (c) the percentage of those who have received two doses of vaccine in the total number of staff members of that category; and
 
Table 2
Category of staff who have received vaccination (a) (b) (c)
Staff of the Hong Kong Police Force      
Staff of the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department      
Staff of the Customs and Excise Department      
Staff of the Hong Kong Fire Services Department      
Staff of the Immigration Department      
Staff of the Government Flying Service      
All civil servants      
 
(3) of the respective up-to-date numbers of persons holding Exit-entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao who are allowed to stay in Hong Kong as visitors having received one dose or two doses of vaccine in Hong Kong, and the total numbers of the persons concerned?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     In response to the various parts of the question raised by Dr the Hon Pierre Chan, a reply from the Food and Health Bureau and the Civil Service Bureau, which are in charge of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme (the Vaccination Programme), is as follows:
 
(1) Since the launch of the Vaccination Programme, as at July 5, we have administered around 4.03 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for members of the public, out of which around 2.41 million persons have received the first dose vaccine. This accounts for 35.4 per cent of the total population aged 12 or above.
 
     Currently, all Hong Kong residents aged 12 or above are eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines free of charge. As long as members of the public meet the age requirement, they can make a booking and receive vaccination without having to declare the category they belong to. The Administration is unable to compile the number of vaccinated persons following the categories set out in the question. As regards individual organisations which provide medical and healthcare services (e.g. the Department of Health, the Hospital Authority and residential care homes for the elderly, etc.), they have compiled their vaccination figures. The Administration can also identify the vaccinated population who are foreign domestic helpers based on their identity documents. Catering premises have requirements for vaccination, hence the vaccination figures of their staff are also compiled. The relevant figures of those who have received their first dose vaccine is below (as at early July).
 
  No. of persons with first dose vaccine (Note) Vaccination rate
Department of Health
(all professions)
4 600 55%
Doctors 470 87%
Nurses 950 52%
Dentists 280 79%
Pharmacists 180 59%
Other staff 2 700 51%
Hospital Authority
(all professions)
40 300 47%
Doctors 5 200 77%
Nurses 11 700 43%
Allied healthcare workers 4 100 47%
Other staff 19 300 45%
Residents of residential care homes for the elderly/persons with disabilities 4 300 5%
Staff of residential care homes for the elderly/persons with disabilities 19 500 49%
Foreign domestic helpers 177 000 48%
Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest ten and hundred.
 
     As at end June, there are around 16 400 catering premises which are licensed by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD). Under the "vaccine bubble", catering premises operating under the Type C and Type D modes of operation need to register relevant information at the designated website of the FEHD. There are around 1 200 catering premises licensed by FEHD operating under Type C and Type D modes of operation. Over 70 per cent of the relevant staff of these premises have received at least one dose of vaccine.
 
(2) The Government strongly encourages government employees in all departments to get vaccinated to safeguard the health of the individual employees and the public they serve, as well as fulfill their civic obligations. Since the vaccination appointments are arranged by government employees themselves, we do not have relevant information on vaccination.
 
(3) According to the information provided by Immigration Department, there are currently over 40 000 Mainland residents holding the Exit-entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao (EEP) who are allowed to stay in Hong Kong as a visitor. Most of them have exit endorsement for visiting relatives in Hong Kong. EEP holders who are allowed to stay in Hong Kong as a visitor and can complete two doses of vaccination within their limit of stay without extension can make appointments for completing two doses of vaccination in the Community Vaccination Centres within their limit of stay. As at July 4, 2021, 19 498 and 9 580 EEP holders who are allowed to stay in Hong Kong as visitors have received one and two doses of COVID-19 vaccine respectively.

Ends/Wednesday, July 7, 2021
Issued at HKT 14:55

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