First Covid-19 vaccines land in Hong Kong, as city confirms 13 new cases and experts back Sinovac jab for healthy older people
- Carrie Lam and her top officials to receive the city’s first doses of the Sinovac vaccine next Monday, according to sources
- Medical experts advising the government declare the jab suitable for healthy people aged over 60
The first 1 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine finally arrived in Hong Kong on Friday, while the government’s medical advisers declared the Sinovac jab suitable for healthy people aged over 60 amid concern over the potential risks for elderly recipients.
Cathay Pacific flight CX391 from Beijing touched down at Hong Kong International Airport at about 5.30pm carrying Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine, shortly after the city’s health authorities registered 13 new coronavirus cases.
Of the new infections – five more than Thursday’s tally – one was imported and eight were untraced. More than 10 preliminary-positive cases were awaiting confirmation.
Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen and Secretary for Food and Heath Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee inspected the medical consignment at gate 3 of the airport, a location chosen for its proximity to the cargo terminal to ensure rapid offloading.
“Today is a very happy occasion where the Sinovac vaccines, a million doses, have arrived in Hong Kong,” Chan said at the airport apron.
“It’s indeed a very important milestone for all the Covid-19 prevention and control work that we have been doing.”
Appealing to the public to take part in the city’s free vaccination scheme, Nip said: “The programme will give us hope to control and end the epidemic as early as possible.”