About 90% of vulnerable Hongkongers received last Covid-19 vaccination more than 12 months ago
Concern group urges residents to get inoculated against Covid-19 as city enters winter flu season
About 90 per cent of Hongkongers at high risk of severe illness from Covid-19 received their last vaccination more than a year ago, a newly formed concern group has found, as it urged residents to get inoculated against the disease before the winter flu season.
The Covid-19 Public Health Concern Group also said on Sunday that two-thirds of those it surveyed did not think they needed to receive further doses, adding the findings highlighted the need for more health education among the public.
The group, which comprises eight healthcare experts, said it was publishing the results to coincide with the release of the most recent mRNA vaccine targeting the latest JN.1 variant of the disease.
“We are entering the winter season, so with the co-circulating of the influenza virus there will be high-risk of complications, and also hospitalisation … and infant mortality,” said member Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, who is also the chair professor of the department of medicine at the University of Hong Kong.
The group surveyed 571 residents aged 30 or older between October 16 and November 16 who had chronic illnesses.
It found that about 90 per cent of them had not received a Covid-19 vaccination in a year or more, despite 60 per cent of respondents knowing their risk of severe infection was higher.
