[Global Times Hong Kong Special Correspondent Yang Weimin] Facing the start of the new semester in September, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology launched a new vaccination initiative, which has attracted attention in Hong Kong society.
According to Hong Kong’s "Oriental Daily" report on the 10th, the University of Science and Technology sent an email to teachers and students on the 9th, requesting that all HKUST members who regularly enter the campus, including students, faculty, people living in campus dormitories, and regular visitors, must be vaccinated Or upload the records of regular inspections to the online reporting system to be issued a pass. A valid e-campus pass must be presented when entering the school. He was immediately banned from entering the campus and other facilities with access control, such as student dormitories, libraries, and sports facilities, until the university’s requirements were met. The school also reminded students of the consequences of not being able to enter the campus, such as failing to meet the attendance requirements, absent from the exam, etc.; once anyone is found to submit false records or data, the university will deal with it according to existing procedures, and the relevant person may face disciplinary sanctions. Although the HKUST Student Union claimed that the school’s actions undermined the basic rights of students to attend classes or use facilities, and some people believe that the group with lower vaccination rates in Hong Kong is the elderly, and compulsory vaccination of students has little effect on increasing vaccination rates, but this measure has been achieved. Lots of support. Professor Jiang Xu, the Acting Dean of the Microelectronics Department of HKUST, said that a large number of teachers, students and staff will gather on the campus after the beginning of the semester. The vaccination arrangements are very important. I believe that under the new measures, more teachers and students will be willing to return to the campus for face-to-face communication, so that the campus will return to normal as soon as possible. Gao, a student at the University of Science and Technology, said that he is going to be vaccinated before the beginning of school and hopes to return to school. He Boliang, director of the Infection and Infectious Diseases Center of the University of Hong Kong, said that the epidemic affects the world and the relevant arrangements of the University of Science and Technology are reasonable. It is believed that various universities will follow the University of Science and Technology and require teachers and students to be vaccinated. On the 10th, the Hong Kong University School of Medicine sent an email to students to actively encourage all students to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Among them, clinical medicine students, nurse students, pharmacy students and Chinese medicine doctors must complete two vaccinations 14 days before the start of the course. Others, such as Lingnan University, require dormitory students, house supervisors, dormitory staff and related family members to complete the vaccination at least 14 days before the start of the dormitory period, or check every two weeks. The Polytechnic University also encourages all teachers and students to complete the two-shot vaccination before the beginning of the new semester. If the vaccine fails to be completed due to health reasons or personal choice, the weekly test results must be submitted to the school or the online class will continue. The Chinese University and the University of Education also required that boarding students be vaccinated or tested regularly in the new semester. Data show that as of the 9th, more than 190,000 children and adolescents aged 12-19 in Hong Kong have received at least one shot of the vaccine, accounting for 41.23% of that age group, and the vaccination rate for youths aged 20-29 is 53.08%.
Some Hong Kong media asked on the 10th, does it violate human rights to force teachers and students to vaccinate? A few months ago, American colleges and universities clearly required teachers and students to vaccinate. The relevant measures have caused some controversy. However, in view of the recent rebound of the epidemic, the education sector turned to support compulsory vaccination. Not to mention Europe. In places such as Italy, France, and Germany, people must present a vaccination certificate to enter restaurants, cinemas, libraries and other public places and take long-distance trains. Those who have not been vaccinated can be said to be unable to move. The article said that Hong Kong had no locally confirmed cases for two consecutive months, and citizens' lives have basically returned to normal, "but security without collective immunization is unreliable and unsustainable." The SAR government should formulate a timetable. If the voluntary vaccination fails to reach the target, it must take all feasible measures, including compulsory measures.