Only 19% received the first dose; 14% the second. The city has 15 million doses available for 7.5 million inhabitants. Residents do not trust the authorities and perceive a low risk of infection. Carrie Lam: No public incentives to get vaccinated.
Hong Kong (AsiaNews / Agencies) – Hong Kong authorities risk having to dispose of millions of doses of the vaccine against Covid-19, announced an official from the city's pandemic task force explaining that about 2 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine will expire in September and will not be used at the current vaccination rate.
The population does want to get vaccinated, and this also applies to a large part of the medical staff. The reasons are his distrust of a government that represses dissent, the perception of being faced with a low risk of contagion and the disinformation circulating on the web.
Hong Kong has purchased 7.5 million doses of Pfizer-BioNtech and as many of the Chinese Sinovac, which has yet to receive approval from the World Health Organization. Currently only 19% of the population (out of a total of 7.5 million people) have received the first dose, and 14% the second.
Faced with the shortage of vaccines in other countries, the city executive is evaluating the possibility of sending the doses at risk of expiry abroad. However, some observers are calling for measures to encourage citizens to get vaccinated. One of these is to link the granting of economic aid to the presentation of a vaccination certificate: to revive consumption, the government has allocated a voucher worth HK $ 5,000 (€ 526) to residents.
However, chief executive Carrie Lam ruled out public incentives to entice citizens to get vaccinated. Lam said today private organizations and businesses could spur the vaccination campaign by offering their employees cash gifts or prizes.