Relatives of residents of residential care homes for elderly participate in health talk on vaccination (with photos)

    About 170 family members of residents of residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) participated in a health talk on vaccination in Lai Chi Kok in person or online, the first specifically held for relatives of RCHE residents today (September 4). During the talk, several volunteer doctors briefed the participants about information on the COVID-19 vaccines and provided them with one-on-one consultation service after the talk. Arrangements were also made for some participants to visit a nearby Community Vaccination Centre for vaccination afterwards.
      
     Attending the event to promote about COVID-19 vaccination, the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, said, "With the appearance of the highly transmissible mutant strain, keeping up the anti-epidemic efforts at residential care homes is of utmost importance. However, less than 10 per cent of RCHE residents have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. To encourage them to get vaccinated, the support and encouragement from their family is very important."
      
     "Some RCHE residents or their family members may not have a thorough understanding of the vaccines. They are also not sure if the physical conditions of residents are suitable for vaccination and may have a mistaken belief that it is fine for them not to get vaccinated. In fact, elderly persons are the group of persons that should get vaccinated immediately in view of the comparatively higher risk for infected elderly to fall seriously ill and die. I appeal to those family members who are still hesitant to act and encourage their relatives to get vaccinated as soon as possible. This is the best way to show their care and love for their family members. Both COVID-19 vaccines available in Hong Kong are safe and highly effective in protecting against severe diseases and death from COVID-19 infection."
      
     "With the immense support and efforts by a number of enthusiastic persons today, in particular the Hong Kong Geriatrics Society and those volunteer doctors, we hope that residents of RCHEs, their family members or elderly persons will understand that we all should learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines in an objective manner and get vaccinated as soon as possible."
      
     Mr Nip expressed gratitude to the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, RCHEs of Po Leung Kuk and RCHEs in Sham Shui Po district for assisting in inviting family members of residents of their RCHEs to attend the talk. Today's event was jointly organised by the Civil Service Bureau, the Social Welfare Department and the Department of Health.