The Government yesterday opened bookings for Covid-19 vaccination to all people working in schools, food and beverage, markets, convenience stores, transport, cleaning and other industries. Booking is not mandatory, but people are encouraged to line up for the vaccine, despite some fearsome news in the community.
As of 7 March a total of 93,000 people had been vaccinated. One person had died and two were in critical condition after being jabbed. All had taken the Sinovac shot and all had underlying health issues. Some people will be leery of the Sinovac jab because it is not authorised for use on people over 60 in China, its approval has apparently been rushed by Hong Kong authorities and full-peer review has not been done. Nevertheless, the must trusted and widely used vaccine, the one by Pfizer-BioNTech, is here and the Government is rolling it out. A total of 1.34 million Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines known as Comirnaty are in Hong Kong now.
The Pfizer vaccine has been injected into millions in the United Kingdom so it may be instructive to turn to NHS to see what they are learning. Serious side effects are “very rare”, the NHS said. It is clear, however, that anyone with weak health for whatever reason would be a fool to get jabbed without first talking to their doctor.
Here is what the NHS says on Pfizer vaccine — you will be able to get it in Hong Kong very soon — regarding side effects:
VERY COMMON SIDE EFFECTS, which may affect more than one in 10 people: pain at injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever.
COMMON SIDE EFFECTS, which may affect up to one in 10 people: injection site swelling, redness at injection site, nausea.
UNCOMMON SIDE EFFECTS, which may affect up to one in 100 people: enlarged lymph nodes, feeling unwell.
RARE SIDE EFFECTS, which may affect up to one in 1000: temporary one side facial drooping.
NOT KNOWN SIDE EFFECTS cannot be estimated from available data, the NHS said. But it also said no long term complications have been reported.
Talk to your medical professional (we are still quoting the NHS) if you have had a severe allergic reaction previously to a vaccination, a severe illness with a high fever, or a weakened immune system.
The Pfizer jab, as with all vaccines, may not fully protect all those who receive it. Nevertheless New Zealand’s Health Department has approved it for use, bought doses for the entire population, and said the vaccine is 95 per cent effective.
Children under 16 are not recommended for the vaccine. Pregnant or breast feeding women should consult a doctor before being injected. The jab entails 0.3ml of fluid being injected into the muscle of your upper arm twice, at least 21 days apart. It triggers the body’s natural production of antibodies and stimulates immune cells to protect against Covid-19.
The latest news from the Government dated two days ago says 93,000 people have been vaccinated, 91800 with Sinovac and 1200 with Comirnaty (Pfizer). On the same day 758,000 doses of the vaccine, jointly developed by Pfizer and Fosun Pharma, had arrived bringing to 1.34 million the number of doses now in the territory.
You can book for vaccination — if you’re cautious after consulting your doctor — through the government online at www.waitingroom-booking.covidvaccine.gov.hk or with your private doctor.
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