Vaccine experts advise teens aged 12 to 17 to get Sinovac first

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Vaccine experts on Friday suggested that teenagers aged 12 to 17 receive the Sinovac vaccination first and then extend the vaccination program to cover children aged three to 11.

The age limit for receiving the Sinovac vaccine was earlier lowered to three.

After a meeting, Lau Yu-lung, chairman of the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases under the Centre for Health Protection, said that the committee advised arranging for teenagers aged 12 to 17 to receive Sinovac vaccination first.

Lau added that the program can then be extended to cover children aged three to 11 as soon as the new school term next year.

They will still have to receive two doses of the vaccine and wait for 28 days in between.

Lau provided two reasons for the arrangement; the first is that it would be best to implement all policies gradually. He pointed out that it is the first time for parents to learn that young kids and toddlers can also get the jabs, and their concerns over children's health should be factored in.

He continued that many families have been waiting for their children, now in secondary schools, to receive the Sinovac vaccine, and lowering the age limit for the vaccine is a move of "listening to public opinions."

The second reason is that it is also typical for the Mainland and other countries to arrange for older students to receive the vaccination first before moving the program onto younger students.

On the other hand, Lau cited the clinical testing results of administering the Sinovac vaccine to children and youngsters aged three to 17, saying it is safe and efficient.

About 110 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine have been administered to those aged three to 17 in the Mainland.

He added that around six million doses have been administered to those aged three to 11 worldwide, saying it is quite a considerable number for Hong Kong's reference.
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