Coronavirus: Hong Kong approves Sinovac jab for toddlers as officials negotiate for BioNTech’s tailored vaccine formula
- Hong Kong becomes the first city in Asia to give approval for vaccinating children as young as six months against Covid-19
- City reports 4,123 new Covid-19 infections, including 234 imported ones, as well as 11 more related fatalities – the highest daily death toll since late April
Children aged six months to three years can receive the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine starting on Thursday after its use was authorised by Hong Kong health officials, who are also negotiating with BioNTech for its jabs for toddlers.
The government’s decision on Tuesday came a day after two scientific committees under the Department of Health recommended that the vaccination age for children be lowered to six months, down from three years for the Sinovac jab and five years for the BioNTech version. Hong Kong will use its existing stock of the Sinovac vaccine to inoculate the children.
Authorities have yet to approve lowering the vaccination age for the BioNTech jab to six months, despite a recommendation from the two committees. Health experts have said children should receive a diluted dosage of the German-made shot, equivalent to one-tenth of that given to adults.
“The government attaches great importance to the vaccination of young children against the novel coronavirus and will try its best to provide them with multiple vaccination routes,” a spokesman said.
The decision was made because several young children had “become severely ill or even died” following infection, the government explained, citing a University of Hong Kong (HKU) study as saying those aged under 11 had a 1.8 per cent chance of requiring intensive care, and a 2 per cent mortality rate.