Pedestrians cross a busy intersection in the Central business district of Hong Kong on Oct 26, 2022. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)
People aged 18 years and older could choose to get a fifth COVID-19 vaccine to help better protect against the virus, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government said on Friday, as 32 people diagnosed with the disease succumbed to their infections.
The city’s health authorities logged 15,726 new coronavirus infections, including 823 imported ones, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health said in a statement.
The daily caseload fell from 17,080 logged on Thursday. The city saw 14,870 cases on Wednesday and 13,721 the day before.
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Of Friday's 14,903 locally acquired cases, 12,031 tested positive by rapid antigen tests while the rest 2,872 through nucleic acid tests.
Among the imported cases, 457 involved samples taken at the Hong Kong International Airport, 293 involved samples taken during day 1 to day 3 of their arrival, while the rest 73 during day 4 to day 7.
As of Thursday, the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch had identified 226 cases of sub-lineage XBB, six of XBD, eight of BA.2.75.2, seven of BA.4.6, 13 of BF.7 and 38 of BQ.1.1 among the imported cases. Another 136 cases of sub-lineage XBB, 18 of XBD, one of BA.2.75.2, eight of BF.7 and 163 of BQ.1.1 have been detected among the locally-transmitted cases.
Fifth dose launched
Starting Friday, eligible persons aged 18 or above may choose to receive the fifth dose of COVID-19 vaccine, or the fourth dose for recovered persons, for better protection.
As the elderly are subject to higher health risks after COVID-19 infection, the government expands the HVS to cover administration of the fifth dose of vaccine in the hope of providing more convenience to eligible elders.
Ingrid Yeung, Secretary for the Civil Service, HKSAR
The Home Vaccination Service (HVS) scheme will provide correspondingly the vaccination service for elderly persons aged 70 or above and persons who have difficulties to go out for vaccination due to ill health or disability, said the government.
From Dec 28 onwards, residents receiving vaccination through the HVS will have options of vaccines to choose from. Apart from choosing the Sinovac vaccine as any dose of COVID-19 vaccination, they will be able to opt for the BioNTech ancestral strain vaccine as any of their doses or the BioNTech bivalent vaccine as their third to fifth dose.
Since the launch of the HVS, over 55,000 vaccine doses have been administered to elderly persons aged 70 or above and persons who have difficulties to go out for vaccination due to illness or disability across the territory, said Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung.
“As the elderly are subject to higher health risks after COVID-19 infection, the government expands the HVS to cover administration of the fifth dose of vaccine in the hope of providing more convenience to eligible elders,” she said.
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To enhance service flexibility and efficiency, the SAR government has commissioned and assigned medical organizations for each and every district to provide through-train services since mid-August, from making phone calls for arranging appointments to providing door-to-door vaccination service, all to be handled directly by the same medical organization.