Hong Kong: growing mistrust of Chinese vaccine after three deaths
Hong Kong recently launched its Covid-19 vaccination campaign.
Paul Yeung POOL / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
In Hong Kong, where the vaccination against Covid-19 started very late, at the end of February, the enthusiasm of the first days gave way to a certain mistrust.
Because three people died in the days following their inoculation and several others are hospitalized in a critical situation even if, for the moment, the medical authorities have not established any cause and effect link.
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With our correspondent in Hong Kong,
Florence de Changy
The queues of the first days have disappeared in front of the vaccination centers which have been dispensing the Chinese Sinovac vaccine in Hong Kong since February 23.
The participation of “
priority
”
registrants
in the vaccination program fell from 90% to 72% after the announcement of at least three cases of patients who died in the days following their vaccination.
Two of these three patients suffered from comorbid factors such as diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure or obesity and the Ministry of Health has said for the moment that these deaths were unrelated to the vaccine.
Government opacity
Of the approximately 110,000 people vaccinated with Sinovac, at least 45 also had to be hospitalized within hours or days of being vaccinated.
On March 10, however, two medical associations called on the government to provide more precise information on the risks for certain populations.
The public questions the fact that health authorities in Hong Kong have approved the administration of the Sinovac vaccine to people over 60, unlike Chinese authorities.
Since the first case of Covid-19 identified in Hong Kong, more than a year ago, 202 people have died out of 7.5 million inhabitants, one of the lowest tolls in the world.
► See also: Covid: Hong Kong launches a campaign to test the entire population for free
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Coronavirus
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