Coronavirus: almost 2,400 Hong Kong youths vaccinated in first two days after programme expands
- But hesitancy remains among many parents and children despite assurances from experts that the BioNTech jabs are generally safe and highly effective for teens
- City confirms just 1 imported case from Sri Lanka on Wednesday
According to figures from the health authorities, 2,381 children in that category received their first dose of the German-made BioNTech vaccine on Monday or Tuesday, accounting for about 1 per cent of the 240,000 additional Hongkongers now eligible for the shots.
The take-up numbers, revealed as the city confirmed just one imported case from Sri Lanka on Wednesday, comes amid a sluggish overall inoculation rate, with about 23.8 per cent of Hong Kong’s 7.5 million residents having received their first dose of either the BioNTech or Sinovac vaccines, and 16.2 per cent having taken two.
Many parents and pupils have remained hesitant about the shots, despite repeated assurances from health experts that the BioNTech jabs are generally safe and highly effective for teens.
Some schools, meanwhile, have been consulting parents and pupils about their willingness to get vaccinated, as the government said it would send outreach teams to campuses where more than 300 people could take the jab on the same day.
Senior officials previously said schools with a vaccination rate of more than 70 per cent could be allowed to resume full-day classes, including on-campus lunch.
Through Tuesday, the city’s infection tally stood at 11,881 with 210 related fatalities.