Outreach vaccination to expand to 18 districts

Outreach vaccination services will be extended to all 18 districts to boost vaccination rates, especially for the elderly, Secretary for Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said.

The official in charge of Hong Kong's vaccination program said the city has seen a bottleneck just before it reaches an estimated 70 percent rate by the end of this month.

Authorities will change their strategy and move into communities in order to reach out to the targets of vaccinations in person, he wrote on his Facebook post today.

Nip said he met with district officers of all 18 districts earlier, as well as Social Welfare Department and Department of Health staffers to discuss how to increase vaccination rates among the elderly.

Attendants shared that “elderly vaccination days” in Sham Shui Po and Yau Tsim Mong districts were well-received earlier. Nip said he wanted to push similar activities in other districts soon to encourage people to get vaccinated.

One-stop vaccination outreach programs will be conducted, so that citizens can listen to health talks or consult experts before getting vaccinated.

The outreach teams will shift their focus from companies to communities, heading to shopping malls and elderly centers. “We will let people get vaccinated in environments they are familiar with. It will be our future strategy,” Nip said.He called on the public to get their jabs before the peak flu season during the winter to protect themselves.

The vaccination rate for those aged between 70 and 79 is 36.5 percent, whereas the rate for those aged 80 or above is 12.3 percent.
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