Coronavirus: Hong Kong reviews proposal to give children mix of BioNTech and Sinovac jabs, but experts urge parents to inoculate kids with already available shots
- Authorities confirm Post report, with health minister Lo Chung-mau and scientific committee to review application to make available BioNTech jab for youngsters
- Health experts say recommendation to mix Chinese and German-made jabs is also under review, but urge parents to inoculate kids with Sinovac shots for now
Hong Kong will review recommendations on whether to inoculate children against Covid-19 with a mix of the BioNTech and Sinovac vaccines, but experts have urged parents to make bookings for the latter now to quickly boost protection.
Confirming an earlier report by the Post, authorities on Tuesday night also said Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau and an expert committee were examining an application to authorise the use of a BioNTech vaccine suitable for children aged six months to three years.
Professor Lau Yu-lung, who chairs the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases, on Wednesday said the German-made shot could be available for children as early as next month, but told parents not to wait and inoculate their children with the Chinese-made Sinovac one.
“Time is of the essence when it comes to getting the protection afforded from a basic double vaccination, both jabs as we know are effective against severe diseases and deaths from Covid-19,” he said.
Hong Kong reported a slight uptick in daily coronavirus cases on Wednesday, after recording a downward trend for the past week, with health officials logging 5,687 infections, 146 of which were imported, and nine more related deaths.
The city’s overall tally stands at 1,725,036 cases and 9,917 related fatalities.
Lau said the quickest way to protect children from Covid-19 was to give them two jabs of the already available Sinovac vaccine.
