Go get the jab or stay in HK forever, expert warns

A medical expert has warned that Hong Kong would not be able to maintain the status of “zero new cases” for the coronavirus for long, if the inoculation rate remains so low.

Thomas Tsang, a member of an expert panel advising the government on Covid-19 vaccines, said on Sunday that he expects the vaccination rate for the first dose to reach 20 percent by the end of next week, but noted this is “far from ideal”.

The World Health Organisation says at least 60 percent of the population must be vaccinated for a place to achieve herd immunity.

Tsang, former controller of the Centre for Health Protection, said during a radio programme that he believed vaccination against the coronavirus will soon become a prerequisite for people to travel abroad, so they should get the shots “unless they plan to never leave Hong Kong”.

He also cautioned against a wait-and-see approach many say they are adopting for Covid-19 vaccines.

“The jabs won’t wait for you, they have an expiry date,” said Tsang, noting the government had also made clear that the community vaccination centres will stop operating after September.

Tsang also warned that it may be difficult for people to make a booking in August if everyone rushes to get vaccinated right before the programme ends.

He called on the public to get their shots as soon as possible, adding that if the city reached a high vaccination rate of 70 percent, people may no longer have to wear a mask in some places, but he did not give examples.

Meanwhile, the expert panel’s convenor, Wallace Lau, said it was hard to foresee whether the SAR would achieve herd immunity against the coronavirus by the end of the year, noting on average only around 15,000 people are getting the jab per day.

“I don’t know actually whether we will reach 70 percent by the end of the year, for example, but I’d very much like everyone to work together towards this goal,” he said.

He said he understood that many people were hesitant about the vaccines, but stressed that they were safe, and do not have any definite links with conditions like acute stroke, coronary heart disease or miscarriages.