Hong Kong’s public clinics set quota on vaccinations for non-local children
The quota of 120 per month follows fears that mainland parents will bring their children to the city in the wake of a vaccine scandal
Public clinics will provide vaccinations for a maximum 120 non-local children each month in a bid to reassure Hong Kong parents amid fears of a shortage sparked by a vaccine scandal on the mainland.
This followed a rapid rise in phone inquiries and bookings for jabs at public maternal and child health centres. They rose from about 80 to 120 in less than a week after it emerged on March 18 that vaccines on the mainland were not being handled properly.
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With a quota system imposed in the public sector, private hospitals are expected to take in 10 to 20 per cent more cases.
The Department of Health announced on Wednesday that from Thursday, its 31 clinics would each month provide health care services to 120 non-local children, including those from the mainland. There are normally about 5,000 new local cases each month.
Each centre will handle only between two and seven new non-local cases, depending on its service capacity. However, services for local children will remain unrestricted.
“Since last week, more parents of non-eligible children have been calling to book and inquire about services,” said Dr Teresa Li Mun-pik, assistant director of health in charge of family and elderly health services.
“In the past, we only had several phone calls a day.”