Hong Kong needs to further boost the vaccination rate, especially that of elderly people and children, saying that the immunity barrier is only temporary after over a million citizens have been infected, a health expert said.
Speaking on a radio program on Saturday, Wallace Lau Chak-sing, chairman of the government's Covid-19 vaccine expert committee, said the city has yet to see a rising trend in the infection figures, probably because several millions of citizens have already been infected with Covid.
A temporary immunity barrier has been built by the high levels of infections alongside the climbing vaccination rate, which he described as "giving the city a brief breathing opportunity."
However, according to Lau, Hong Kong still needs to further boost the vaccination rate in the long run. He cited figures that less than half of citizens aged 12 or above have received the booster jab, and only around 60 percent of elderly aged 80 or above have received their first dose of the vaccine.
Lau added it is necessary to push the vaccination rate of all age groups to at least 90 percent.
He stressed that receiving the Covid vaccine can minimize the risk of developing severe symptoms and "long Covid" or even death.
Lau reminded citizens to receive the booster jab and the elderly and people with a weak immune system to get the second booster so that there would be sufficient levels of antibodies.
He also called on the unvaccinated not to wait for the second-generation Covid vaccine, saying that it is still unknown will there be another mutated variant other than Omicron.
Lau pointed out that pharmacies are still working on the next-generation vaccine and expected reliable data to be released as soon as this year's end.
A temporary immunity barrier has been built by the high levels of infections alongside the climbing vaccination rate, which he described as "giving the city a brief breathing opportunity."
However, according to Lau, Hong Kong still needs to further boost the vaccination rate in the long run. He cited figures that less than half of citizens aged 12 or above have received the booster jab, and only around 60 percent of elderly aged 80 or above have received their first dose of the vaccine.
Lau added it is necessary to push the vaccination rate of all age groups to at least 90 percent.
He stressed that receiving the Covid vaccine can minimize the risk of developing severe symptoms and "long Covid" or even death.
Lau reminded citizens to receive the booster jab and the elderly and people with a weak immune system to get the second booster so that there would be sufficient levels of antibodies.
He also called on the unvaccinated not to wait for the second-generation Covid vaccine, saying that it is still unknown will there be another mutated variant other than Omicron.
Lau pointed out that pharmacies are still working on the next-generation vaccine and expected reliable data to be released as soon as this year's end.