LettersHong Kong’s Covid-19 vaccine pass: children have a basic right to be vaccinated against infectious diseases

Readers explain the government’s rationale for including children aged five to 11 in the vaccine pass scheme, and suggest that efforts focus more on at-risk groups such as the elderly

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Residents queue outside a community vaccination centre in Hong Kong on February 23. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 11:30am, 15 Sep 2022

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I refer to the letter, “Extending vaccine pass to Hong Kong children is not the way to overcome parents’ vaccine hesitancy” (September 8) from Billy Wong of the Hong Kong Committee on Children’s Rights. We do not agree that including children aged five to 11 in the vaccine pass scheme would affect the fundamental rights of children.

The government holds the interests of children dear. We absolutely respect children’s rights, especially their right to grow and live healthily. It is imperative that the government takes every measure to protect children. We also believe that every child has a basic right to be vaccinated against infectious diseases.

Indeed, it is hard to imagine a more basic infringement of their rights than to put their health at risk. We hope, by lowering the age threshold of the vaccine pass, that young children’s risk of being infected with Covid-19 will be reduced. This way, children can stay in school to continue their education uninterrupted, and participate in sports and other leisure activities.

Vaccination is a key pillar in our fight against the Covid-19 epidemic. Nearly a million children and adolescents in Hong Kong have been vaccinated against Covid-19 so far. Most children have experienced mild side effects or none at all. With the accumulation of data, the drug regulatory authorities, both locally and overseas, are moving to regularise the registration and administration of Covid-19 shots as with other vaccines, such as for seasonal influenza.

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Readers explain the government’s rationale for including children aged five to 11 in the vaccine pass scheme, and suggest that efforts focus more on at-risk groups such as the elderly

Readers explain the government’s rationale for including children aged five to 11 in the vaccine pass scheme, and suggest that efforts focus more on at-risk groups such as the elderly