Review of vaccination strategy helps increase public confidence

01 view

Written by: Commentary Editor

2021-03-09 17:15

Last update date: 2021-03-09 17:16

After the launch of the new crown pneumonia vaccination program, there have been three deaths in Hong Kong after being vaccinated with Kexing vaccination within 10 days.

The Committee of Governmental Experts emphasized on Monday (8th) that the first two deaths were not directly related to the vaccine, and pointed out that even if the death rate after the Kexing vaccine in Hong Kong is higher than that of the world, the plan is only just launched, so it cannot be directly compared.

Although the government has repeatedly stated that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the disadvantages, the reality is that some people are worried and even deterred after making an appointment. The authorities should do more to increase public confidence, including explaining to the public the specific requirements of the vaccination targets, or even reviewing the current age. limit.

As of Monday, more than 103,000 people in Hong Kong have received the first dose of vaccine, of which 101,000 have chosen Kexing vaccine.

However, there have been three cases of death after being vaccinated with Kexing vaccine recently, and some citizens are naturally concerned about safety.

The New Coronary Vaccine Clinical Events Evaluation Expert Committee met on Monday and pointed out that the first two deaths involved severe coronary heart disease and aortic tears and were therefore not related to vaccination.

Due to time constraints, the committee still has to wait for the autopsy report to determine the cause of the third death.

The Secretary for Food and Health, Chen Zhaoshi, stated before the expert meeting that because the benefits of vaccination outweigh the disadvantages, the government has no intention to stop the plan and will extend the plan to other citizens at high risk of infection, involving about 1.3 million people.

Nie Dequan talks with the disciplined forces waiting to be vaccinated.

(Nie Dequan facebook)

Macau and the Mainland are first vaccinated under the age of 60

The current controversy about Kexing vaccine mainly revolves around its effectiveness and priority vaccination targets.

According to the recommendations of an expert consultant appointed by the Centre for Health Protection and the Chief Executive in January, the first group of priority groups for vaccination are residents and staff in residential care homes for the elderly/institutions for the disabled and other residential facilities, followed by medical care Institutional staff and people aged 60 or above, the third is people aged 16 to 59 with long-term health problems.

However, this sequence is not only slightly different from the conclusions of the vaccine research report, but also different from the vaccination recommendations of the Mainland government.

First of all, according to the research report of the Food and Health Bureau, “due to insufficient data on the utility of groups 60 years of age or older, relevant institutions should consider their health and exposure risks when using CoronaVc for the above groups.” People with a history of diabetes, epilepsy, and bleeding disorders should use it with caution.

In Shenzhen, which is also vaccinated with inactivated vaccines, the Municipal Health Commission also recommends that the key populations for emergency vaccination are only those related to imported cold chain logistics, workers in quarantine places, and closed-loop management practitioners for immigration personnel. Vaccination should be postponed for those younger than 18 or older than 59 years old.

Macau, which uses Sinopharm vaccines, will not open vaccination arrangements unless specifically requested by citizens over 60.

Why the Hong Kong government’s vaccination strategy is so different? Officials should explain to the community more.

He Boliang, director of the Infection and Infectious Diseases Center of the University of Hong Kong, suggested that the expert committee should review whether it is still necessary to arrange for people over 60 to be vaccinated first.

Widespread vaccination to achieve herd immunity is the most important work in the fight against the epidemic.

To achieve widespread vaccination, the government must increase public confidence and encourage active participation.

However, the current strategy of taking the emperor first over the age of 60 seems to cause many citizens to confuse the background mortality with the safety of the vaccine, and they are even more suspicious of the vaccine after the death.

The government may think that older citizens are a higher-risk group. First vaccination can be a safe policy. However, once the epidemic situation in Hong Kong has been gradually controlled, the current risk is quite limited. In addition, successive deaths may also cause public concerns about vaccine safety Concerns, it is against the widespread implementation of the vaccination plan.

In order to increase the confidence of the public, it is necessary for officials to fully explain the background mortality and other related issues to the public, and at the same time review the vaccination strategy, with the goal of increasing social confidence.

Yellow and blue are political views, vaccines are science

Increase two-way understanding and peace of mind vaccination

Travel with peace of mind｜Chen Zhaoshi explained that the wrong vaccine arrangement should not be chaotic

New Coronary Pneumonia New Coronary Vaccine 01 Viewpoint