On Monday (January 24), the head of the World Health Organization's European region, Hans Henri P. Kluge, said in a statement in Copenhagen that the coronavirus pandemic had entered a "new phase."
He stressed that the pandemic will eventually come to an end, but also reiterated that it was too early to relax, as more new variants are almost certain to follow.
However, as long as the society can take measures such as strict monitoring, high vaccination rates and third doses, he believes that even in the face of a new wave of outbreaks, there is no need to return to a nationwide lockdown like the previous pandemic.
In addition, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a new study earlier, based on an analysis of more than 220,000 hospital emergency room and urgent care center visits in ten states between August 2021 and January 2022 , found that the rate of the third dose of vaccine in preventing emergency and hospitalization needs was as high as 94% during the period when the Delta variant virus was rampant, and the same efficacy against the Omicorn variant virus was maintained at 82% and 90% respectively, which is sufficient to prove that the third dose of vaccination It can indeed help reduce the pressure on the medical system and reduce the chance of serious illness.
Boundary Street Coliseum Vaccination Center will reopen.
(file picture)
The number of missed injections is increasing
Although the effect of the third booster dose of the new crown vaccine has been supported by more and more scientific evidence, many Hong Kong people still seem to have doubts about it.
Since November 23 last year, the SAR government allowed people who received two doses of Sinovac vaccine to receive booster doses for six months, and on January 1 this year, the scope of application was further expanded to those who received two doses of Fubitai vaccine. The total number of citizens who are eligible for the vaccination but have not received the third dose is about 850,000 and 1.22 million respectively, but this number has soared to more than 1.5 million this week.
In fact, since the opening of the third dose of the new crown vaccine, the number of people who have not received injections has increased almost every day, and only on December 11 has dropped slightly in more than 60 days.
According to this trend, the local vaccine protection network is not without the worry of shrinking and going backwards.
Moreover, with the recent outbreak of a mutant virus in the local area, there have been some rumors that people who have not been vaccinated may be asymptomatic and non-severe, and they have deliberately emphasized that the third injection will also be "hit" and so on. Relevant remarks will undoubtedly further encourage Some citizens are hesitant to inoculate boosters.
On January 4, 2022, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced before attending the executive meeting that a series of vaccine bubble measures will be implemented on February 24. The scope is not limited to 599F-listed premises, including cultural and recreational facilities, schools, etc.
For example, she pointed out that in terms of schools, the first phase may only be applicable to teachers and staff, etc., but may not be applicable to students, and there is no plan to extend it to private workplaces.
On the same day, she reiterated that it was still not yet time to tighten social distancing measures.
(Photo by Ou Jiale)
Gu's third needle measures are unsustainable
Of course, in addition to the public's wait-and-see attitude, the unsustainable measures taken by the government and enterprises are also a major reason.
The authorities have closed several vaccination centers one after another for several months, but the frequency of reopening is still not as frequent as before. As for the "vaccine bubble" arrangement, the third injection has not yet been considered.
Private companies have not offered any lucky draws or discounts for vaccinators, and many employers are not as willing to provide "vaccination vacations" for employees who have received the third shot as they did with the first and second shots - although the Civil Service Bureau had already announced in November last year. Government employees declared eligible for a third dose of the vaccine receive the same treatment.
The local vaccination program has been in place for a long time, and all sectors of society must recognize that its protective power will gradually weaken over time. Therefore, the importance of booster doses should never be underestimated until the epidemic is over.
In particular, the government leading the whole society to fight the epidemic needs to expand the coverage of vaccination centers and strengthen promotion and education as soon as possible, and the upcoming "vaccine bubble" can also refer to foreign experience and introduce the consideration of injection time and booster, so that relevant measures can really prevent it. the spread of the epidemic, rather than being reduced to an administrative indicator that has no practical effect.
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