The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam, principal officials of the Special Administrative Region Government, members of the Special Administrative Region Council, and members of the Special Administrative Region Legislative Council were vaccinated successively at the Community Vaccination Center located in the Hong Kong Central Library Exhibition Hall on the afternoon of February 22.
When she met with the media after being vaccinated, Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor expressed that she hoped that officials and legislators would take the lead in vaccinating the new crown vaccine to play a demonstrative role and encourage all Hong Kong citizens to actively participate in the vaccine from the perspective of protecting others, family, community and Hong Kong Vaccination.
On the afternoon of February 22, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam received the new crown vaccine.
Photo by Li Zhihua
On February 22, Carrie Lam and several directors of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government were vaccinated against the new crown.
Photo by Li Zhihua
With the full support of the Central People's Government, at approximately 5:30 pm on February 19, the first batch of approximately 1 million doses of Coxing's new crown vaccine was delivered to Hong Kong International Airport by Hong Kong Cathay Pacific flight CX391.
This is the first of the three new crown vaccines ordered by the SAR government under the pre-purchase agreement to arrive in Hong Kong, marking a new stage in Hong Kong's response to the epidemic.
At about 5:30 pm on February 19, the first batch of about 1 million doses of Coxing New Crown vaccine carried by Cathay Pacific Airways arrived in Hong Kong.
Photo by Li Zhihua
At about 5:30 pm on February 19, the first batch of about 1 million doses of Coxing New Crown vaccine carried by Cathay Pacific Airways arrived in Hong Kong.
Photo courtesy of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government
As the vaccine arrived in Hong Kong, the SAR government immediately launched a free new crown vaccination program covering the whole territory.
Starting from February 23, medical institution personnel and personnel involved in the anti-epidemic, people aged 60 or above, residents and employees of residential care homes for the elderly and disabled persons, personnel maintaining necessary public services, cross-border transportation, and ports , Port staff, people in the above five priority vaccination groups can make appointments for Kexing vaccines at five community vaccination centers and 18 general outpatient clinics under the Hospital Authority from February 26.
In addition, more than 1,500 clinics with more than 1,200 private doctors are expected to start vaccinating the citizens for free by mid-March.
On December 11 last year, Carrie Lam announced a breakthrough in the procurement of the new crown vaccine. Hong Kong reached a pre-purchase agreement with Kexing Holding Biotechnology Company, Fosun Pharma/Germany Pharmaceuticals BioNTech, and AstraZeneca. Suppliers purchased 7.5 million doses, a total of 22.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, enough for all Hong Kong citizens to vaccinate.
In December of the same year, the SAR government enacted the "Prevention and Control of Diseases (Use of Vaccines) Regulations", empowering the Secretary for Food and Health to approve the new crown vaccine based on objective scientific data and the professional opinions of the independent advisory expert committee. Hong Kong for emergency use.
On the afternoon of February 18, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government held a press conference on the new crown vaccination plan.
The Director of the Civil Service Bureau of the SAR Government Nie Dequan (third from right) announced that the Hong Kong Covid-19 vaccination plan will accept online appointments on February 23 and will start the plan on February 26.
Photo by Zhang Wei
Following the supplier’s provision of relevant information to Hong Kong, the Secretary for Food and Health, Chen Zhaoshi, has approved Fosun Pharma/German’s BioNTech’s "Fobitai" nucleic acid vaccine and Kexing respectively on January 25 and February 18 this year. Inactivated vaccines are used urgently in Hong Kong.
The first batch of 1 million doses of the former is expected to arrive in Hong Kong before the end of February. At that time, Hong Kong citizens can vaccinate at 24 community vaccination centers dedicated to this vaccine.
Another viral vector vaccine jointly developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University is expected to arrive in Hong Kong as soon as the second half of this year.
Various public opinion surveys show that the possible side effects of the new crown vaccine have become an important factor for Hong Kong citizens to consider whether to vaccinate.
The SAR government stated that it will carry out rigorous drug monitoring. For example, it will advise citizens to stay in the designated area of the vaccination center for observation for about 30 minutes after being vaccinated. If any adverse reactions occur, they can be dealt with by the on-site medical staff immediately.
In addition, the SAR government will set up a protection fund for serious abnormal events after the new crown vaccine, with an initial allocation of 1 billion Hong Kong dollars.
Hong Kong has established a new crown vaccine clinical event evaluation expert committee, which includes experts in pediatrics, pharmacology, hematology, immunology, pharmacy, forensic pathology, neurology and microbiology.
Once a report or information about an abnormal event or event of concern is received, the expert committee will immediately evaluate the causal relationship between the case and the vaccination.
In order to allow Hong Kong citizens to obtain all the information about the new crown vaccine, and to clarify the confusion and distorted and discredited information from time to time in the market, the SAR government launched a one-stop information platform for the new crown vaccine at the end of January this year.
On the afternoon of February 22, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam and several directors of the Special Administrative Region government were vaccinated against the new crown.
Photo by Li Zhihua
The new crown epidemic is raging around the world. Early inoculation of a safe and effective new crown vaccine is a very important part of the prevention and control of the epidemic. It is also the key to Hong Kong citizens returning to a more normal life and Hong Kong's economic activities.
The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, the largest political group in Hong Kong, recently proposed that Hong Kong residents who have been vaccinated and who have been certified by the medical unit to have virus antibodies in their bodies can be exempted from quarantine and obtain a mainland health code when they travel to the mainland by only undergoing virus testing.
The DAB has collected more than 100,000 signatures from citizens earlier, and hopes that the domestically produced new crown vaccine will be available to Hong Kong as soon as possible.
The political group also advocated allowing Hong Kong residents in need to go to Shenzhen to vaccinate domestic vaccines not introduced by Hong Kong.
Throughout Hong Kong's work on the new crown vaccine, citizens can freely choose whether to vaccinate and which vaccine to vaccinate, and there is no need to pay related fees.
Fan Xu Litai, a former member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and the first chairman of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Legislative Council, said with a smile, "Hong Kong people are very happy."
She believes that the work of the SAR government is reasonable and reasonable, and that the anti-epidemic measures have been good, Hong Kong citizens should provide support and encouragement.
Reporter: Zeng Ping and Zhang Xiaoxi