Government employees' adoption of the "vaccine bubble" can serve as a model for society

The government announced on Tuesday (21st) that it will implement the "vaccine bubble" in government buildings and office premises from mid-February next year. By then, all government employees who enter the premises for work-related purposes will need to present a certificate of COVID-19 vaccination.

In addition, the government will also increase the testing density of unvaccinated people to once every three days starting next Tuesday (28th).

As the Omicron variant virus is raging around the world, the government has the responsibility to consolidate the protective barrier of the group and prevent the infected person from getting severe illness as early as possible. The outside world should actively cooperate with the "increasing spicy" measures.

The government bluntly stated in the press release that the threat of the Omicron variant virus to Hong Kong continues unabated. The government needs to encourage employees to be vaccinated as soon as possible to protect the health of employees and the public.

From mid-February next year, all government employees who enter government buildings and office premises for work-related purposes, except those holding a valid medical certificate, must present a vaccination certificate.

The WHO and even local medical experts have repeatedly pointed out that although the mutant virus has a strong spreading power, the proportion of severely ill patients vaccinated is low, which is effective.

However, the effectiveness of vaccines is declining day by day, and citizens have to take bolsters every once in a while to maintain their resistance.

Verifying the vaccination status can let the government and the person in charge of private places know the individual's vaccination status, reducing the risk of severe infection in social activities.

On the other hand, because the government has increased the frequency of testing, it is believed that many citizens who resist vaccination will be vaccinated, thereby pushing up the vaccination rate.

The government will implement a "vaccine bubble" in government buildings and office premises in mid-February 2022.

(Profile picture)

Increase vaccination rate with "vaccine bubble"

In Hong Kong, there have been discussions about restricting access to places for people who have not been injected for some time, and some universities have already implemented it.

Indeed, about 96% of government employees have received the first dose of vaccine. At this time, the launch of the "vaccine bubble" in government places has limited effectiveness.

Many countries, states, and cities have implemented the "vaccine bubble" (or "vaccine passport"), and it has spread across governments and private places, including public and private work units.

Recently, international studies have confirmed that measures have effectively increased the vaccination rate.

Two scholars from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom published a paper in the medical journal "The Lancet" in the middle of this month, confirming that the vaccine passport can help increase the vaccination rate.

The study selected six countries: Denmark, Israel, Italy, France, Germany, and Switzerland, and compared them with 19 countries that did not implement them.

From April to September this year, the six countries have successively introduced vaccine passports. Among them, the vaccination rates of four countries were lower than average before the implementation of the measures, and increased between 20 days before and 40 days after the implementation of the measures.

Due to factors such as limited vaccine supply, political reasons and low vaccination rates in Denmark and Germany, the change is not obvious.

The study also found that when the passport is targeted at a specific location, the vaccination rate of the main users of the location of the corresponding age group increases.

For example, in Switzerland, people who enter nightclubs and events with more than 1,000 people require injections, and the vaccination rate for people under the age of 20 has risen significantly.

Denmark's new crown pneumonia epidemic: The picture shows the "vaccine passport" displayed in the form of a QR code on a mobile phone taken in Copenhagen, Denmark, on May 28.

On the 28th, the Danish government launched a new version of the digital "vaccine passport."

According to reports, the vaccine passport can be integrated with the EU "vaccine passport" that will be launched on July 1. It is also applicable to places in Denmark that require a "vaccine passport" to enter, such as restaurants, cinemas, and museums.

(Xinhua News Agency)

The government must think carefully about implementation details

The government protects public health by restricting people's behavior. The intention is good. The "vaccine bubble" is one example. However, the government should not underestimate the difficulty of the certification process in all government premises.

Although front-line security personnel must be familiar with operations and identify authenticity, the key lies in the computer system.

This includes how to deny those who have not been vaccinated from entering the workplace, whether to install a gate or install a device in the current gate, or install a QR code scan with manual confirmation, and whether it is required for those who have been vaccinated to enter and leave the premises every time Need to check the pin card or check once.

More importantly, the system must ensure that it does not hinder the commuting and movement of exempted vaccinators and avoid making them suffer worse treatment.

For employees who have just started using "Travel with peace of mind", the government must also provide sufficient time and guidance to let them familiarize themselves with the new certification of "e-needle card".

Vaccine passports need to have adequate planning to break through the bottleneck of vaccination, both officials and people need to change their perspectives