What’s new: Hong Kong has administered at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine to more than 40% of its population, according to government data.
The city had administered more than 4.8 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine as of Monday, data show. More than 2.8 million residents, accounting for 41.9% of the total population, had received at least one dose, and 30% had received a full two-dose course.
The background: Hong Kong’s mass vaccination campaign, which was launched in late February, allows residents aged 12 and above to receive free vaccinations. The number of eligible residents is about 6.82 million, accounting for 91.2% of the total population.
Patrick Nip Tak-kuen, the civil service chief in charge of the vaccination effort, said during an interview with Commercial Radio Hong Kong on Sunday that the city is expected to have administered at least one dose of vaccination to 70% of its population by the end of September based on the current pace.
The territory’s health authorities are seeking to ensure all eligible people receive two doses of a vaccine, which provides the highest level of immunization.
Hong Kong is administering two types of vaccine, an inactivated virus jab provided by Sinovac Biotech (Hong Kong) Ltd. and an mRNA shot provided by Fosun Pharma in collaboration with the German drug manufacturer BioNTech.
Contact reporter Wang Xintong (xintongwang@caixin.com)
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