The Government today announced that it will launch a pilot scheme for the public to receive the BioNTech vaccine at private healthcare institutions starting next Monday.

The scheme aims to further facilitate and encourage vaccination by broadening the vaccination network of the BioNTech vaccine.

A list of the eight participating private healthcare institutions and information on the vaccination venues, booking, enquiry hotlines and more are available on the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme thematic website.

The public may make appointments with the private healthcare institutions directly without going through the Government's website.

As with the existing arrangement for COVID-19 vaccination, people may receive the vaccine free of charge under the pilot scheme. Private healthcare institutions cannot charge the public for the vaccination service provided alone.

Private healthcare institutions participating in the pilot scheme have already gained extensive experience in providing large-scale COVID-19 vaccination service through their current involvement in the operation of community vaccination centres. They are also competent in deploying medical staff and handling medical emergencies.

The Government will provide a subsidy of $160 per vaccine dose to these healthcare institutions. In line with the current arrangement for subsidies, those who provide vaccination service to elderly people aged 60 or above will receive an additional subsidy of $50 per dose.

Given that each BioNTech vaccine vial contains six doses and the storage time is limited once the vial is opened, the healthcare institutions will need to consolidate the vaccination appointments as far as practicable to avoid wastage of doses. The Government has set out stringent arrangements to monitor the vaccine usage.

Through the pilot scheme, it will study the feasibility of providing vaccination service using the BioNTech vaccine at more non-government venues in the long term.

With the experience gained from the pilot scheme, the Government will consider leveraging private healthcare institutions' service capacity, district networks and service flexibility at the next stage of the vaccination programme to further encourage vaccination among the public, while at the same time get prepared for the possible regularisation of COVID-19 vaccination in the future.

The Government calls on people, especially senior citizens, chronic patients and other immunocompromised individuals, to get vaccinated as early as possible for better self-protection before the fifth wave strikes Hong Kong.