Coronavirus: Hong Kong in renewed push to vaccinate elderly and other high-risk groups
- Health chief says measures are meant to highlight importance of vaccination against respiratory diseases, especially Covid-19 and flu
- Officials also confirm overseas attendees of coming Global Financial Leaders’ Summit will be allowed to join certain activities in ‘designated venues’
Civil servants and volunteers will go from door to door to sign up Hong Kong’s elderly in public housing estates in three districts for Covid-19 jabs from Saturday as part of a renewed push to vaccinate high-risk groups which include a free flu shot outreach programme for secondary school students.
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau revealed the measures on Friday in a follow-up press briefing on the policy address, as officials confirmed overseas attendees of the coming Global Financial Leaders’ Summit would be allowed to join certain activities in “designated venues” and leave via private jet if they tested positive for Covid-19 according to established practice.
“All these measures are meant to highlight the importance of vaccination against respiratory diseases, especially Covid and flu,” Lo said, when asked about the inoculation drives.
“Elderly and child vaccinations have not reached ideal levels yet. There are still 28 per cent of those aged 80 and above who have not received a single [Covid-19] jab, with the vaccination rate at 18 per cent only for those under three years.”
Lo noted that influenza had led to the death of two or three children annually between 2015 and 2019, while in comparison so far this year nine fatalities involving youngsters aged 11 or below were from complications resulting from Covid-19.
