Government conducts COVID-19 vaccination for persons with special needs at their homes for first time (with photos/video)
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The Home Vaccination Service administered the Sinovac vaccine to six residents there. Among them, four are unvaccinated elderly persons aged 71 to 82, and two are unable to leave their homes for vaccination due to illness or physical disability. Meanwhile, two residents who have registered for the service are tested positive or living in a flat with member tested positive. Their cases will be followed up separately.
The Government exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation yesterday (March 30) afternoon to delineate Sun Kit House, Sun Chui Estate as a "restricted area" for compulsory testing on persons subject to compulsory testing. On-site staff went door-to-door yesterday to inform residents about the testing arrangements, and at the same time invited residents with special needs to register for vaccination. Upon soft opening of the "restricted area", the Government provided home vaccination service to persons with special needs and tested negative.
The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, went to Sun Kit House today to inspect the door-to-door vaccination workflow and listen to the views of the residents. He went to the doors of residents with on-site staff yesterday afternoon. He noticed that many residents had already received vaccination but the on-site staff still took the opportunities to locate certain persons with special needs and successfully registered them for receiving door-to-door vaccinations.
"Pushing forward the Home Vaccination Service can be regarded as a challenge. The preparatory work behind, from registration of information and delivery of the vaccine to arranging the medical team to go door-to-door and conducting home vaccination and follow-up, etc., are all closely inter-related. Despite all the difficulties, we will endeavor to promote vaccination so as to further boost the vaccination rate of the elderly persons aged 70 or above and also enable members of the public who are unable to go to vaccination venues due to impaired mobility, to receive protection from vaccines and reduce their risk of serious illness and death from infection," Mr Nip said.
"Today, we are launching a home vaccination trial in a building. We will continue to conduct trials in other suitable venues and then further expand the Home Vaccination Service to persons with special needs in all buildings under 'restriction-testing declaration' operation."
In addition, the Government launched an online registration platform for the Home Vaccination Service for internal testing today. The Government will first seek district organisations’ assistance in collecting information from elderly persons aged 70 or above who are yet to get vaccinated, and persons who are unable to leave their homes for vaccination due to illness or physical disability, for registration in the online platform during their community care campaigns to distribute materials and home visits.
The Government appeals to members of the public, if they can bring their elderly family members to Community Vaccination Centres or Mobile Vaccination Stations for vaccination, they should arrange vaccination for the elderly immediately by making reservations or collect same-day tickets for them so as to receive the protection conferred by the vaccine as early as possible.
The designated website for the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/en/programme) provides the latest information including details on vaccination venues, reservation and enquiry hotlines.
Ends/Thursday, March 31, 2022
Issued at HKT 19:51
Issued at HKT 19:51
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Photo
Audio / Video
Trial run of Home Vaccination Service for persons with special needs at building under RTD operation