SCS: Get timely COVID-19 vaccination in new phase of epidemic response (with photos)
30.1.2023

The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, said today (January 30) that as Hong Kong has entered a new phase of epidemic response, the society is resuming normalcy in full swing. Members of the public, in particular the elderly, young children and immunocompromised persons who are at a higher risk, should receive suitable doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on time to gain protection conferred by the vaccine, safeguarding the health of their own and their families proactively. Mrs Yeung visited the Yuen Long Community Vaccination Station (CVS) located at the open space outside the Yuen Long Leisure and Cultural Building today to see for herself the vaccination situation. Same as the CVSs at the Wong Tai Sin Temple Square, the Java Road Playground and the Lai Chi Kok Park, the Yuen Long CVS concurrently provides Hong Kong residents with vaccination service with the Sinvoac vaccine (for persons aged 6 months or above), the BioNTech ancestral strain vaccine (for persons aged 12 or above), and the BioNTech bivalent vaccine (as a booster). She said, "So far, the COVID-19 vaccination rates for the second and third doses across the territory are 93 per cent and 83 per cent respectively, which is a result of the joint efforts of every member of the public who supported the vaccination drive, allowing the city to keep progressing along the path to normalcy steadily thanks to the high vaccination rates. After entering a new phase of epidemic response, we still need to maintain the protection conferred by the vaccine to ward off the COVID-19 virus through vaccination, just like the way we cope with diseases such as influenza and pneumococcus. "The Government has procured safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, provided vaccine options and set up vaccination venues at locations with convenient transportation for members of the public in Hong Kong. Every member of the public has the initiative to obtain protection conferred by the vaccine. They should arrange vaccination for the sake of the health of themselves and their families. The virus will continue to exist in the community, but the vaccination rates for people aged 80 or above and children aged below 3 are only about 72 per cent and 25 per cent respectively. Even though the threat posed by the virus has been reduced relatively, the vaccine still provides protection, especially for the elderly and children who have weaker resistance to diseases. Children aged below 3 are considered as a 'mask-wearing generation' as they have to put on masks whenever they go out since birth. Should there be a change for places subject to the regulation on the wearing of masks one day in the future, parents may allow their children to take off their masks in permitted places. In order to let them have adequate protection against the virus under such a scenario, parents should arrange vaccination for them as early as possible, and allow sufficient time for the production of antibodies after vaccination." Mrs Yeung also said in future, the Government will make timely adjustments to the vaccination programme and facilities in light of the latest development of the epidemic and demand for vaccination. The designated website for the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme ( www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/en/programme ) provides the latest information including details on vaccination venues, reservations and enquiry hotlines.