Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan and Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung visited Hong Kong Taoist Association Ching Chung Secondary School (CCSS) to view the Government’s school outreach service for COVID-19 vaccination launched today.

CCSS is among the first batch of schools that have opted for the outreach vaccination service for their students to receive the BioNTech vaccine after the minimum age for receiving it was lowered from 16 to 12. 

Prof Chan noted that the protection for those aged 12 to 15 is significant upon completion of two doses of the vaccine, with the level of antibodies developed in them higher than that in adults, with 100% efficacy against the disease.

She added that getting vaccinated would enable students to resume normal school and daily life.

“I hope that parents will arrange for their children aged 12 and above to get vaccinated as soon as possible, to build an immunity barrier for the community and help Hong Kong ride out the epidemic,” Prof Chan said.

Mr Yeung thanked the school staff and students for making a concerted effort to build herd immunity, noting that the more school staff and students can get vaccinated to enhance the safety of school campuses, the higher the chance of resuming normal schooling arrangements will be.

“The Education Bureau will continue to keep track of the developments of the epidemic and preparedness of schools, and consider health experts’ advice, with a view to mapping out in late July or early August the schooling arrangements for the new academic year,” he added.

To facilitate vaccination of students, staff and parents, schools can reserve time slots at community vaccination centres through group bookings and the Government will arrange transport for them.

Alternatively, the Government can provide the outreach service at schools through the medical teams of community vaccination centre operators.

Around 400 students, teachers and parents from CCSS, Leung Shek Chee College and Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Bishop Hall Secondary School were vaccinated at the CCSS campus through the outreach service today.

Apart from the school outreach vaccination service, a number of primary and secondary schools have been reserving time slots at community vaccination centres since last Monday. Some parents are also making their own appointments for their children to receive vaccination.