Coronavirus: China opens up vaccination to people from Hong Kong and Macau on mainland
- National Health Commission does not specify which vaccines will be given but those who don’t join in now may be charged for a jab in future
- Beijing will not restore border until Hong Kong has zero infections
Hong Kong and Macau residents who join the free and voluntary vaccination programme on the mainland will receive the same treatment as mainlanders. To qualify, they must provide proof of a residence permit issued by the Public Security Bureau or a mainland medical insurance scheme.
The NHC has not stated which vaccine will be given to Hong Kong and Macau residents. China has approved the public use of four vaccines from Sinovac Biotech, Sinopharm, CanSino Biologics and Wuhan Institute of Biological Products (an affiliate of Sinopharm).
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China pushes mass vaccinations to build herd immunity against Covid-19
Vaccine recipients who have an adverse response to the jab will receive the same treatment and compensation available to local residents.
Residents who choose not to join the current inoculation drive may have to pay for the jabs in future, the NHC said.
Aaron Yong, 32, who was born and raised in Hong Kong, has lived in Guangzhou for more than 12 years and is now running a teahouse in Huangpu district. Yong said he was not considering getting vaccinated – at least for now.
“I am mainly worried about the safety of the vaccine,” Yong said. “Every day I see the news from Hong Kong that someone is unwell or died after the vaccination I’m a little afraid. I will wait. If more people are inoculated, vaccine safety should be able to improve. Basically, I think if about 40 per cent of the population is vaccinated, it will be safer and I’ll definitely take it.