3 Deaths in 9 Days After Hongkongers Get China’s Sinovac Vaccine
Since Hong Kong began vaccinating the public with China’s domestically-produced Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, CoronaVac, on Feb. 26, three deaths in nine days have increased anxiety about the vaccine’s safety.
On March 8, a 71-year-old man in Hong Kong died four days after receiving his vaccine shot. The patient was reported to be in good health before the vaccination. This was the third death in Hong Kong following a CoronaVac injection.
It’s unclear whether the vaccine contributed to the deaths. Authorities have said they are investigating the causes of death.
HK s vaccine slots booked in one day as city opens reservations
Liu Caiyu and Bai Yunyi Published: Feb 23, 2021 09:48 PM
A Cathay Pacific pilot gets the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine at a community vaccination center in the Hong Kong Central Library on Tuesday, as frontline workers and high-risk groups are the first in line to be vaccinated. Photo: VCG
On Tuesday, the first day that reservations opened for Hong Kong residents to get their COVID-19 vaccines, all slots in the following two week were immediately booked. Observers believe that the city may achieve an immunity barrier by year-end.
As of 4 pm on Tuesday, about 70,000 people had reserved their first and second doses online, and all slots available between Friday and March 11 were taken, according to the regional government website.