The Government has further expanded the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme since January 1. All eligible persons who have received two COVID-19 vaccine doses six months ago or earlier can receive the third dose. According to experts, a third dose of the Comirnaty vaccine is strongly recommended for individuals who had received two doses of Comirnaty or the CoronaVac vaccine and are aged 18 and above.
The Government calls on members of the public to make good use of the eight private healthcare institutions providing Comirnaty vaccination service. A pilot scheme was launched earlier to broaden the vaccination network of the Comirnaty vaccine with a view to providing additional channels for vaccination through these institutions. The eight private healthcare institutions offer Comirnaty vaccination service free of charge at 26 service venues across the city and allow the public to make bookings in order to shorten the waiting time. Members of the public can make appointments for vaccination with these institutions and clinics directly without going through the Government's website. Enquiry hotlines and details of vaccination venues are available at the thematic website of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/en/programme).
Community Vaccination Centres (CVCs), vaccination stations at public hospitals and mobile vaccination stations set up by the Government will continue to administer the Comirnaty vaccine for members of the public. As walk-in quotas at the CVCs are limited, the Government appeals to members of the public to make bookings for vaccination via the online booking system as far as possible so that they can receive vaccination as planned. Separately, the vaccination stations at public hospitals and mobile vaccination stations require queuing on-site. People in need, especially the elderly, may consider making use of the Comirnaty vaccination service provided by the aforementioned private healthcare institutions to save waiting time. The Government is closely monitoring the vaccination situation and service needs and will increase the vaccination capacities at the CVCs and vaccination stations at public hospitals in a timely manner. The Government will also keep co-ordinating with the aforementioned private healthcare institutions, so that the service capacities and vaccination venues can be increased having regard to vaccination demand.
"We are in a race against time with the highly transmissible mutant virus strains. Hence, we must speed up the vaccination pace in order to build a protective barrier in Hong Kong under the spreading threat posed by mutant virus strains," the Government spokesman reminded.
The Government spokesman added, "We appeal to those who have yet to receive the first or second vaccine dose, as well as those who are eligible to receive the third dose, to get vaccinated early for self-protection."
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