The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, today (September 14) visited a call centre of the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association (SCHSA) to learn from its staff about the work of contacting elderly persons who have not received COVID-19 vaccination and the concerns of the elderly on COVID-19 vaccines.
"Receiving COVID-19 vaccination is effective in minimising the risks of falling seriously ill and death after infection. Also, unvaccinated elderly persons have an extremely high risk of death in the unfortunate event of being infected with the coronavirus. As such, we have been trying to reach out to the individuals in need of vaccination through various channels, and provide the greatest convenience for elderly persons to encourage them to get vaccinated," Mrs Yeung said.
With the efforts of various parties, the first-dose vaccination rate of elderly persons aged 70 or above is currently about 78 per cent. However, there are still around 218 000 elderly persons who have never received vaccination, and for those aged 80 or above, about 30 per cent of them have not been vaccinated. The Government and the Hospital Authority (HA) have separately encouraged each of the elderly who are unvaccinated to receive vaccination as soon as possible based on the elderly recipient lists of various allowances under the Social Welfare Department, the membership lists of the Elderly Health Centres of the Department of Health and lists of elderly patients with follow-up appointments at the general out-patient clinics of the HA respectively.
The Government has commissioned the SCHSA this month to reach out to users of its care-on-call service to brief the elderly persons who have yet to get vaccinated on the importance of vaccination, with a view to effectively disseminating the message of receiving vaccination to them through their trusted companions. The SCHSA has also arranged for registered nurses to make phone calls to elderly persons in need so as to effectively provide suitable professional advice to them in accordance with their health conditions with a view to dispelling their worries on vaccination. If the elderly persons agree to get vaccinated, staff of the SCHSA will assist them to make vaccination appointments. Elderly persons in need can also use escorting services provided by the organisation for going to vaccination venues to take a jab, and the cost will be borne by the Government.
"Over the past week, the SCHSA has contacted 2 436 elderly persons who have not received vaccination and has so far successfully assisted 83 elderly persons who are willing to receive vaccination to make appointments. It is not easy to ease the worries of the elderly persons in a moment, and I would not underestimate the difficulties. However, I am very glad that the staff and healthcare workers have patiently explained to the elderly persons in the hope that they would be willing to listen to different views even though it may not achieve an instant effect," Mrs Yeung added.
In addition, the Government enhanced the Home Vaccination Service in mid-August. Medical organisations have been commissioned and assigned for each and every district to provide through-train services to follow up on all recommended vaccine doses for the elderly persons to enhance work efficiency. Unvaccinated elderly persons aged 70 or above and persons who are unable to go out for vaccination due to illness or physical disability can make use of the Home Vaccination Service for receiving the door-to-door vaccination service provided by medical professionals. Members of the public can register for the service through the website (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/hv/) or by calling 5688 5234 from 9am to 6pm from Monday to Friday, except public holidays.
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