Hong Kong Widens Vaccine Access to Residents Ages 16 And Up
Bloomberg 4 hrs ago Felix Tam
(Bloomberg) Hong Kong expanded eligibility for Covid-19 vaccines to all residents aged 16 and older, in the government’s latest attempt to boost a low inoculation rate by making the shots widely accessible.
Residents aged 16 and above will be allowed to receive BioNTech SE vaccines, while those older than 18 will also be able to opt for shots made by China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd., Secretary for Civil Service Patrick Nip said at a briefing on Thursday. Bookings for the expanded group will start on April 23, Nip said, and 16 and 17-year-olds will need parental consent forms to be vaccinated.
Bookings for coronavirus vaccinations jumped in Hong Kong as the government said it could ease social-distancing rules for inoculated people in a bid to encourage more of the population to sign up for shots.