Senior citizens get jabs

July 29, 2021
Proactive step
Proactive step:

Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan (second left) thanks the elderly for participating in the outreach COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan today visited Kwai Tsing District Health Centre to learn about the outreach COVID-19 vaccination programme for the elderly jointly organised by the centre and a network doctor.

 

Prof Chan said: “The risk of severe illness caused by COVID-19 increases with age, and the elderly belong to the group of people with the highest risk of complications and death from COVID-19. Comirnaty and CoronaVac vaccines, which are used in the Government’s COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, are highly effective in lowering the risk of severe disease and death.”

 

She added that senior citizens who have got influenza jabs before can safely receive COVID-19 vaccines.

 

“We strongly recommend the elderly to get vaccinated as soon as possible for protection.”

 

To encourage the public to receive COVID-19 vaccines, the centre promotes the programme through different media platforms and organises a series of educational activities. It also provides vaccination information in the district and offers assistance to people in need, in particular the elderly, to make vaccination appointments.

 

In addition, vaccination service is provided at the centre in collaboration with the network doctor. Centre nurses monitor participants’ reaction in the following few days after vaccination and give counselling and other support if needed.

 

A total of 16 outreach vaccination sessions were organised, nine of which have been completed. About 60% of the participants were aged 65 or above.

 

Prof Chan thanked the centre and the network doctor for their support, noting that the arrangement provided senior citizens with convenient and timely service. She was also glad to know that the elderly were satisfied with the outreach programme.

 

She appealed to different trades and organisations for their participation in the Government’s vaccination campaign to protect themselves and their families.

 

“The COVID-19 pandemic is still severe globally, we count on our citizens to fulfil their civic responsibility and to receive COVID-19 vaccines in order to strengthen the immunity barrier under the threat posed by mutant strains.”

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