The Government today (May 17) reminded members of the public that the third stage of the Vaccine Pass will commence on May 31. By then all members of the public aged 12 or above, except those who obtained the COVID-19 Vaccination Medical Exemption Certificate, are required to receive COVID-19 vaccination according to the following requirements in order to comply with the requirement under the Vaccine Pass.
Non-recovered persons
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(1) Non-recovered persons may use the vaccination record QR code as the Vaccine Pass within six months of receiving the second dose.
(2) Non-recovered persons are required to receive the third dose if it has been over six months from the second dose in order to continue to use the vaccination record QR code as the Vaccine Pass.
Recovered persons
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(3) All recovered persons may use the recovery record QR code or the vaccination record QR code with recovery status incorporated as the Vaccine Pass within six months after recovery.
(4) If the recovered persons had received the second or third dose of vaccine before infection, they are not required to receive an additional vaccine dose. They may use the vaccination record QR code with recovery status incorporated as the Vaccine Pass after the recovery record QR code expires.
(5) If the recovered persons had not received or had only received one dose of vaccine before infection, they are required to receive an additional dose (first or second dose) of vaccine within six months after recovery, in order to continue to use the vaccination record QR code with recovery status incorporated as the Vaccine Pass.
(6) For recovered persons aged 12 to 17, if they had received the first dose of the BioNTech vaccine, they may continue to use the vaccination record QR code with recovery status incorporated as the Vaccine Pass.
For the arrangement of recovered persons to download the recovery record QR code and the vaccination record QR code with recovery status incorporated, please refer to the press release issued on April 19. Members of the public may also refer to the Government's thematic website for relevant information including details of the Vaccine Pass, the vaccination record, the recovery record and the Medical Exemption Certificate.
The Government reminded members of the public who have yet to fulfil the requirements of the third stage of the Vaccine Pass to get vaccinated as soon as possible before May 31. The Government also called on members of the public who are eligible for receiving the third dose to receive it as soon as possible, and not to wait for the six-month grace period under the Vaccine Pass to lapse. The Government continues to provide multiple vaccination channels to enable the public to get vaccinated, including:
(1) Currently, there are still abundant vaccination slots at 26 Community Vaccination Centres (CVCs) for the public to receive the Sinovac and BioNTech vaccines. The 26 CVCs will remain in operation until the end of May. Starting from June, 21 CVCs will continue to provide vaccination services to the public.
(2) COVID-19 Vaccination Stations set up at 13 public hospitals under the Hospital Authority (HA) enable patients visiting the hospitals for follow-up appointments and visitors to receive the BioNTech vaccine. Furthermore, 43 designated general outpatient clinics under the HA also provide vaccination services. Among them, 40 clinics provide the Sinovac vaccine, while three clinics provide the BioNTech vaccine.
(3) The number of private healthcare institutions participating in the BioNTech Vaccination Pilot Scheme has increased from 11 to 19. They provide BioNTech vaccination services at 76 service locations in total. Furthermore, members of the public can receive the Sinovac vaccine from private doctors and clinics which have joined the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. Members of the public can make appointments for vaccination with these institutions and clinics directly without going through the Government's website.
Other channels for free COVID-19 vaccination include 11 Elderly Health Centres under the Department of Health, as well as District Health Centres (DHCs) and DHC Expresses set up in various districts. The designated website for the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/en/programme) provides the latest information including details on vaccination venues, reservation and enquiry hotlines.
"Given the high transmissibility of the Omicron mutant strain, members of the public must still stay vigilant even if the epidemic situation has subsided a little recently. Vaccination is highly effective in preventing severe cases or deaths from COVID-19. We strongly appeal to members of the public who have not been vaccinated, especially senior citizens, chronic patients and other immunocompromised persons who face a much higher fatality risk after COVID-19 infection, to get vaccinated with no delay for the sake of their health. Members of the public who are currently eligible for a third or fourth dose should also get the dose as soon as possible with a view to building an immune barrier for Hong Kong," the spokesperson stressed.
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