The Government announced today (July 27) that starting from Thursday (July 29), same-day tickets will be distributed at 24 Community Vaccination Centres (CVCs) (except those run by private hospitals) under the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme to persons aged 70 or above who have not made any prior booking so that they can receive COVID-19 vaccination in a CVC at a designated timeslot on the day of distribution.
 
     Meanwhile, to assist members of public to make appointments at CVCs, starting from tomorrow (July 28), the Government will extend the booking period by seven days from the current three weeks to four weeks. The appointment quotas of CVCs will also be gradually increased within this week.
 
     The limited number of same-day tickets for the elderly will be distributed daily from 7.45am on a first-come, first-served basis. The CVCs will be closed between 1.30pm and 2.30pm daily for cleaning and disinfection and the last session of vaccination will be held from 7pm to 7.30pm.
 
     "We hope that this arrangement can further enable the elderly to get vaccinated. As the same-day tickets will be distributed daily, it is not necessary for elderly persons to queue up at CVCs too early for a ticket. Depending on the response of the elderly to the same-day ticket arrangements and the actual situation, we will consider expanding the measure to cover persons aged 60 or above," a Government spokesman said.
 
     "According to the latest recommendation on COVID-19 vaccination by the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases under the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health and the Chief Executive's expert advisory panel, the elderly are the group with the highest risks of complications and death from COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines are highly recommended for the elderly for protection against infection. Experts recommend that all elderly people who have previously received influenza vaccines can safely receive COVID-19 vaccines. If the elderly have chronic diseases, they should get vaccinated as soon as possible for protection when the condition is stable."
 
     Elderly persons aged 70 or above can present their Hong Kong identity cards (HKID cards) to get a same-day ticket at CVCs. They can also authorise their family members or carers to get a ticket on their behalf, provided that the authorised person can present a copy of the authoriser's HKID card for registration. When receiving the first dose of vaccination, elderly persons will be informed of the date and time for the second dose. Each elderly person can be accompanied by a maximum of two carers to receive vaccination. The carers can also receive vaccination together.
 
     About 4 600 same-day tickets will be distributed at 24 CVCs (see Annex) every day. In view of the limited capacity of the venues, the CVCs at Tung Chung Community Hall and Hong Kong International Airport will each distribute 100 tickets per day, while other CVCs, except those run by private hospitals, will each distribute 200 tickets per day.
 
     In addition, in response to the recent increase in the number of people making appointments for vaccination, starting from 9am tomorrow, the Government will extend the booking period for vaccination at CVCs by seven days as a measure to assist members of the public in making appointments. Currently, the appointment quotas for seven days involve about 400 000 vaccination doses. The Government will, in response to the booking situation, make suitable adjustments to the booking period accordingly.
 
     People can make reservations through the online booking system on the designated website of the Vaccination Programme (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk) for receiving vaccines at 29 CVCs and 26 general out-patient clinics of the Hospital Authority. They can also make appointments for vaccination with private doctors or clinics participating in the programme.

Ends/Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Issued at HKT 12:47

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