People are waiting on February 23 to receive a dose of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine in Hong Kong.
Photographer: Paul Yeung / Bloomberg
Photographer: Paul Yeung / Bloomberg
Fewer Hong Kong residents show to get vaccinations from Chinese manufacturer Sinovac Biotech Ltd. amid reports of side effects, even though the demand for shots fired by Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE on the day of their debut.
The number of people receiving their scheduled vaccinations for Sinovac at community vaccination centers dropped to 72% on Wednesday, up from a high of more than 90% last week. More than one-third of those who reported 36% for the vaccine did not show up on Tuesday.
The Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, which brought into the city Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Co. was administered to 91% of the signatories to get it Wednesday, the first day it was available.
The skipping of Sinovac vaccine appointments comes after the city reported three deaths and three critical illnesses among the more than 130,000 people vaccinated so far. Although no one did linked to the Sinovac vaccines, the reluctance to get the shots increased among residents. Authorities have so far ruled out a link between the vaccines and the first two deaths and two critical cases, while recent reports are still being analyzed.
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Vaccine hesitation
Attendance rate for those who fell the Sinovac vaccination
Source: Statements by the Hong Kong Government
“It is understandable that some residents are concerned about the latest serious adverse events and even deaths after vaccination,” Public Service Minister Patrick Nip said on Tuesday. All the serious side effects will be carefully reviewed by an expert committee, as is the usual procedure, he said.
The health department is expected to issue new guidelines soon that recommend that some high-risk people, including those with uncontrolled diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, should be delayed from being vaccinated, according to a report by The Standard.
India and mainland China has also been slow to launch its vaccination efforts, at least in part due to mistrust and concerns over the recently released Covid-19 vaccines.
Hong Kong launched its public vaccination campaign on February 26, targeting people aged 60 and over, health care workers and other essential workers. From Tuesday it is expanded its priority groups to 3.7 million people, about half the population, and added those in high positions such as teachers, public transport managers and restaurant workers.
Other countries also reported deaths among people who received vaccinations, although the numbers were small and almost all cases were underlying conditions. None of the deaths or serious complications were linked to the shots.
(Add report in sixth paragraph that shooting can slow down some people at high risk)