Letters | As Hong Kong awaits the coronavirus vaccine, it must fine-tune its distribution plan

Name: Pfizer coronavirus vaccine more than 90 per cent effective, US drug maker says
Uploaded: 2020-11-14T01:31:05.000Z
Duration: 2 min 30 s
Description: Pfizer coronavirus vaccine more than 90 per cent effective, US drug maker says

Initial supplies of the Covid-19 vaccine will be limited, so public health authorities must use this time to come up with plans on how to distribute it, which groups will receive priority and how to overcome people’s reluctance to being vaccinated

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An ampoule with BNT162b2, the mRNA-based vaccine candidate against Covid-19, produced by BioNTech, Pfizer’s German partner. The company has said its candidate has proved 90 per cent effective in preventing symptomatic infection. Photo: EPA-EFE

Letters

Published: 9:31am, 14 Nov 2020Updated: 9:30am, 14 Nov 2020

While everyone is looking forward to a Covid-19 vaccine, given the initial limited supply, agreement is needed on how the vaccine will be distributed.

The age division structure used for flu vaccinations in Hong Kong is not applicable as it cannot address major concerns arising from the epidemic. What about the importance of certain occupations in helping run the community?

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention classifies the public into five tiers for the distribution of limited vaccines during an influenza pandemic. The first tier has the highest priority and includes medical staff, police, firefighters, pregnant women and toddlers. Other children are grouped into the second and third tier according to their health conditions. However, those aged 65 and above are placed in the fourth tier.

How to distribute the vaccines is also an issue. The authorities must consider the geographical distribution of the target groups and arrange corresponding vaccination sites so it is convenient for the public to visit the centres. A geographic information system can mark the distribution of different groups on a map and give a full picture of how many people can reach a vaccination site by a 15-minute walk or a short drive, helping to estimate the number of vaccines needed at each site.

Some vaccines require two doses, and products from different pharmaceutical companies cannot be interchanged. Who receives a certain vaccine and when will the second dose be required? Health care staff need a fast, accurate system to record each person’s vaccination information with the bar code of the vaccine package box or possible side effects to facilitate follow-up work. The information can be displayed on an interactive map dashboard to give the authority constant updates.

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Pfizer coronavirus vaccine more than 90 per cent effective, US drug maker says

We also need to eliminate reluctance to being vaccinated by increasing transparency through better communication. The government should explain the principles of and measures taken for vaccine distribution to the public. Information such as the number of vaccines for each group and daily number of those vaccinated should be displayed on the dashboard for people to assess their risk level.