Coronavirus: Hong Kong health experts call for shorter grace period for third jab under vaccine pass requirements
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Hong Kong authorities should shorten the grace period residents have to get their third Covid-19 jab as required by the vaccine pass to encourage faster uptake, health experts have said.
Official figures found that close to 50 per cent of the population has been vaccinated with a third dose, but the figure for residents aged 70 or above is only 31.3 per cent and the rate for those 80 or above is just 18.2 per cent.
“If we are results-oriented, we should have 70 per cent of elderly vaccinated with third doses so as to further relax social-distancing measures before July 1,” University of Hong Kong microbiologist Ho Pak-leung said on Wednesday. “This is achievable if we adjust the grace period.”
Health authorities previously brought forward the implementation of the third stage of the vaccine pass by one month to May 31, meaning all individuals except those with exemptions will need to have received their third coronavirus jab to enter government venues and other types of premises such as restaurants and shopping centres.
Residents were given a six-month grace period, earlier shortened from nine months, to get the third dose, meaning that from May 31 onwards, if they had received the second dose less than six months ago, they would still be allowed to enter premises.
Ho told a radio programme the grace period should be further cut from six to three months.