Hong Kong health officials say 75 Covid jab sites sufficient for demand
Hong Kong's Department of Health says 75 Covid-19 vaccination points are enough to meet current demand, with over 90 per cent of people having received initial doses. Officials note booster uptake calculations are complicated by incomplete data on recent infections among priority groups.
Hong Kong's Department of Health has said that 75 Covid-19 vaccination points across the city are sufficient to meet current inoculation demand. A spokesman noted that the overall rate for people receiving initial doses of the Covid-19 vaccine has exceeded 90 per cent.
The spokesman explained that calculating the booster dose uptake rate differs from other vaccines, as it requires consideration of whether people in relevant groups have recently been infected with the coronavirus and the date of any such infection. Under the current vaccination programme, priority group members who have completed their initial doses can receive a free booster dose at least 180 days after their last vaccine dose or a Covid-19 infection, regardless of how many doses they have had previously.
Because complete data on recent infections among these priority groups is not yet available, the department said it is unable to calculate the group's vaccination rate for booster doses. The spokesman added that the mRNA Covid-19 vaccines currently in use involve complex cold-chain handling and logistics procedures.
In order to minimise vaccine wastage, the department said the existing network of 75 vaccination points — which includes public hospital specialist outpatient clinics, family medicine clinics, private clinics, and maternal and child health centres — is adequate to meet current demand.
