HONG KONG (BLOOMBERG) - Hong Kong saw a jump in bookings for coronavirus vaccine appointments after eligibility was widened to all residents aged 16 and older, as the city works to boost inoculation rates seen as crucial to achieving herd immunity.
About 25,200 people reserved slots for BioNTech vaccinations at community centers in the 24 hours to 8pm Friday (April 23), while another 6,100 booked appointments to receive shots made by China's Sinovac Biotech, the government said.
Total bookings, which include first and second doses, more than doubled from 14,700 a day earlier. The figures don't include private clinics, which offer Sinovac jabs.
The expansion, announced earlier this month, means that all Hong Kong adults will now be able to access vaccines, amid a rollout effort that has been hampered in part by distrust in the local government and questions about the efficacy of Chinese vaccines. Hong Kong is one of the first places globally to roll out vaccinations to its full adult population.