Elderly people in Kowloon City District receive COVID-19 vaccination (with photos)

     With joint efforts from various local organisations in Kowloon City District, 205 elderly persons in the district participated in a COVID-19 vaccination event for the elderly at Hung Hom Community Hall today (October 2). They attended a health talk on COVID-19 vaccines and a visiting medical practitioner was on site to administer the Sinovac vaccine to elderly persons who would like to get vaccinated.
      
     The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, attended the event to support the elderly persons to learn about the vaccines and get vaccinated. "Whether you are in your 70s, 80s, or even much senior, it is urgent that you protect yourself through learning about COVID-19 vaccines and get vaccinated. A one-stop service covering a health talk, medical consultation and on-site COVID-19 vaccination has been provided in various districts. The vaccinations were smooth and safe and some of the vaccine recipients were in their 90s. On the contrary, under the threat posed by mutant strains, elderly who are not vaccinated will be subject to the extremely high risk of getting seriously ill and death from COVID-19 infection," Mr Nip said.
      
     Experts recommended that elderly persons should receive a COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible, as long as they are not suffering from acute illnesses. All elderly persons who have previously received influenza vaccines can safely receive COVID-19 vaccines. Both COVID-19 vaccines available in Hong Kong are safe and highly effective in protecting against severe disease and death from COVID-19 infection.
      
     The Community Vaccination Centres (CVCs) continue to provide the first dose of vaccination service to the public this month and next month. All eligible persons who want to receive a COVID-19 vaccination can collect same-day tickets. They can get vaccinated without prior bookings as long as there are quotas for vaccination available at the CVCs. People may also make reservations and choose their preferred time slots for vaccination through the designated website of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk), or they can receive the Sinovac vaccine through private doctors or clinics under the programme.
      
     Meanwhile, the COVID-19 Vaccination Stations in Queen Mary Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Tuen Mun Hospital have commenced operation to enable patients visiting the hospitals for follow-up appointments and visitors to receive the BioNTech vaccination without prior booking.