Civil service volunteers reach out to assist in vaccination of elderly and persons with special needs on outlying islands (with photos)
11.6.2022

Under the COVID-19 epidemic, many people have taken an extra step to care for people with special needs. The Civil Service Bureau Volunteer Team and the volunteer team of the Administrative Service Association are no different. They formed a team of about 50 persons as volunteers for the Home Vaccination Service and visited various places on outlying islands in groups today (June 11). They accompanied the medical staff of eight outreach teams and supported their administration of vaccines to elderly persons and people with special needs. The target recipients of the Home Vaccination Service are unvaccinated elderly persons aged 70 or above and persons with impaired mobility due to illness or physical disability. Various medical organisations and groups have so far formed a total of 1 004 small teams and provided door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination service to over 19 300 people. The volunteers are good partners of the outreach medical staff as they help speed up and facilitate the vaccination process. The service targets for the outreach teams this time live in relatively scattered and remote locations. Their residences spread across areas of Mui Wo and Tai O on Lantau Island, Peng Chau, Cheung Chau, Lamma Island, etc., where longer transport time is required and the village paths leading to the residences could be somewhat circuitous. The weather also posed extra challenges to the teams. Volunteers used rolling cases to carry the laptop computers and equipment for printing vaccination records, while the medical staff brought with them the indispensable vaccine doses and medical supplies. During the time for rest and observation after vaccination, volunteers accompanied the vaccine recipients, so that the elderly persons would be more at ease about getting vaccinated, while the medical staff could take the time to prepare for the next home visit to another elderly person. The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, led two teams and visited Peng Chau and Lamma Island with volunteers to serve the elderly people together. He expressed gratitude to the elderly persons for supporting COVID-19 vaccination, and also to members of the local community and civil service colleagues for volunteering and bringing warmth to people on the anti-epidemic journey. He said, &ldquo;About 120 people are expected to get vaccinated through the Home Vaccination Service today. Each outreach team travels far and wide to safeguard the health of members of the public. Those who are benefitted from the service welcomed the arrival of the outreach teams and are touched by the enthusiasm of the medical staff and volunteers. I hope that the general public can also understand the efforts of various parties, as well as the thoughtfulness and care of the Government, local community members, medical staff and volunteers, and get their third COVID-19 vaccine dose on time.&rdquo; Elderly persons aged 70 or above or persons with impaired mobility due to illness or physical disability who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine before are advised to register for the free door-to-door vaccination service via the Home Vaccination Service website ( www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/hv/ ) or the enquiry hotline (Tel: 5688 5234) as soon 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. For members of the public who have elderly family members who they can take to a nearby vaccination venue, they are advised to make reservations or collect same-day tickets for vaccination immediately so that the elderly persons can receive vaccine protection as early as possible.