CE appeals to people aged 60 or above to get fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose (with photos/video)
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Mrs Lam, in the company of the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, who is responsible for co-ordinating the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, and the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, inspected the operation of the vaccination centre after she received her jab. Mrs Lam thanked the healthcare workers and staff members of the centre for meticulously providing vaccination services to the public. She also talked to members of the public who went there to get vaccinated and was pleased to learn about their positive response to the Government's call to get vaccinated in a timely manner. Professor Chan also received her fourth dose of the Sinovac vaccine at the centre.
The Government announced last Friday (April 8) that, after considering experts' recommendations, persons aged 60 or above who had received three doses of the Sinovac or BioNTech vaccines could receive the fourth vaccine dose at least three months after their last dose. Eligible persons could receive the vaccine using same-day tickets distributed at Community Vaccination Centres or Hospital COVID-19 Vaccination Stations at public hospitals, or starting today, make appointments for receiving the fourth dose via the online booking system.
"Currently, the first-dose vaccination rates of the age group of 3 to 11 and that of 70 or above account for some 60 per cent and some 70 per cent respectively of the relevant populations, far lower than those of the other age groups. The Government has been stepping up efforts to boost the vaccination rates of children and the elderly, as a matter of priority, to reduce their risk of hospitalisation, serious complication or even death upon infection," said Mrs Lam.
"As the protection conferred by the vaccine may wane with time, I appeal to persons aged 60 or above who have received three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to receive the fourth dose in a timely manner; those who have yet to be vaccinated to act now and receive vaccination; and those who have received vaccination to arrange for receiving the second and third doses in a timely manner. As schools in Hong Kong will resume face-to-face classes in a gradual and orderly manner starting next week, I call on parents to arrange vaccination for their children early to protect them and enable them to fully embrace the school life."
With the days-long Easter holidays starting tomorrow (April 15), Mrs Lam appealed to members of the public to stay vigilant and continue to join hands with the Government in stablising the epidemic situation by observing social distancing measures strictly, avoiding going out unnecessarily and refraining from group gatherings.
Ends/Thursday, April 14, 2022
Issued at HKT 18:28
Issued at HKT 18:28
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