Coronavirus: Hong Kong children as young as 3 to get access to Sinovac jab, in extension of vaccination drive to wider age group
- Local minimum age for Chinese-made drug to be lowered from 18, with Sinovac already available for younger recipients on mainland and overseas
- Priority will be given to those aged 12 to 17; expert earlier said data showed jabs were safe and reliable for younger people
Children as young as three in Hong Kong will have access to the Chinese-made Sinovac coronavirus jab, with priority for those aged 12 to 17, following a latest government approval to extend the city’s vaccination drive to a wider group.
The approval made on Saturday, which came a day after government advisers recommended lowering the vaccination age, was expected to pave the way for the resumption of full-day classes for all schools.
The move will provide an alternative for teenagers, as only German-produced BioNTech vaccines are currently available to children aged 12 and above.
“The secretary for food and health considered that the benefits of approving the extension of the age eligibility of the CoronaVac vaccine to cover those aged three to 17 outweigh the risks,” officials said, referring to the trade name of Sinovac.
