Letters | Coronavirus vaccine: questions Hong Kong must answer to ensure a smooth roll-out
- The successful mass testing of more than a million people in September showcased Hong Kong’s ability to enact scalable public health operations, but the authorities now need to strategise and manage operations across a more complex set of tasks
For example, how can we best gain public trust? Is this going to be a voluntary, voluntary and incentivised, or compulsory exercise? Will it be a government-run exercise? Can businesses mandate that their employees get a Covid-19 vaccine?
How should we identify and train workers to handle and administer vaccines, determine the location for administering shots for designated individuals, and schedule the shots? Besides health care workers, should the elderly with higher fatality rates be prioritised, or should we work on a first-come, first-served basis?
How should we ensure safe administration of the vaccine and availability of supplies? It is estimated that each worker performing vaccinations can only administer six doses an hour. How do we ensure adequate supplies of personal protective equipment?
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How do we get people to return for a second dose of the vaccine, which is required by all but one vaccine candidate?
How can we best monitor necessary data from the vaccination programme? A sophisticated and transparent information technology system capable of supporting and tracking distribution, administration and other necessary data will be needed. Is this best done through the government, a private logistics provider or a hybrid exercise?
The configuration of cold chain management depends upon which vaccine is to be deployed or the mix of multiple vaccines.
Let’s prepare now and get it right.
Frank Chen, dean and chair professor, College of Business, City University of Hong Kong