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Saturday, Feb 22, 2025
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Elderly should receive fourth vaccine dose three months after third
Scientific committees advising the government have suggested that people aged 60 years or above receive the fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at least three months after their last dose to better protect against the virus.
The two committees – the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases – under the Centre for Health Protection convened an online meeting joined by the Chief Executive's expert advisory panel on Wednesday to discuss the use of Covid-19 vaccines in Hong Kong.
As the majority of local fatal cases during the fifth wave of the pandemic were of people aged 60 or above, the experts recommended this group receive an additional dose of either the Sinovac or BioNTech vaccine three months after their last dose for better protection.
The same would also apply to patients aged 60 and older who have recovered from Covid-19.
The experts also re-examined the time interval between the first and second doses of the BioNTech vaccine for immunocompromised children and adolescents. They had no objection to recovered people receiving their next dose of vaccine for personal reasons, including studying abroad or fulfilling a requirement for overseas travel, at a shorter interval of no less than 28 days after recovery.
At the same time, recovered persons without a history of vaccination in the past can be vaccinated one month after recovery.
The experts concurred that vaccination should be offered to persons who are unsure if they had a previous infection as if they had not been infected. The vaccine is safe for people with previous Covid infections, and prior screening before administration is not required.
Meanwhile, the experts also said they had no objection to exercising flexibility by allowing the provision of vaccines with seasonal influenza vaccine or other childhood immunization vaccines on the same visit. The same applies to similar settings, including residential care homes.
The meeting also noted the development of new Covid vaccines, including Omicron-specific vaccines and protein subunit vaccines, on whose development the experts said they would keep an eye.
For those who have been partially vaccinated outside Hong Kong with locally unavailable vaccines on the "List of Covid-19 Vaccines Recognized for Specified Purposes" and under the World Health Organization's Emergency Use Listing, the experts recommended they complete their vaccination with vaccines using the same platform or any suitable locally available alternative at least four weeks after their last shot.
Those who had been fully or partially vaccinated with vaccines not on the previously mentioned lists are recommended to start over with vaccines available in Hong Kong following the local recommended schedule.
As the majority of local fatal cases during the fifth wave of the pandemic were of people aged 60 or above, the experts recommended this group receive an additional dose of either the Sinovac or BioNTech vaccine three months after their last dose for better protection.
The same would also apply to patients aged 60 and older who have recovered from Covid-19.
The experts also re-examined the time interval between the first and second doses of the BioNTech vaccine for immunocompromised children and adolescents. They had no objection to recovered people receiving their next dose of vaccine for personal reasons, including studying abroad or fulfilling a requirement for overseas travel, at a shorter interval of no less than 28 days after recovery.
At the same time, recovered persons without a history of vaccination in the past can be vaccinated one month after recovery.
The experts concurred that vaccination should be offered to persons who are unsure if they had a previous infection as if they had not been infected. The vaccine is safe for people with previous Covid infections, and prior screening before administration is not required.
Meanwhile, the experts also said they had no objection to exercising flexibility by allowing the provision of vaccines with seasonal influenza vaccine or other childhood immunization vaccines on the same visit. The same applies to similar settings, including residential care homes.
The meeting also noted the development of new Covid vaccines, including Omicron-specific vaccines and protein subunit vaccines, on whose development the experts said they would keep an eye.
For those who have been partially vaccinated outside Hong Kong with locally unavailable vaccines on the "List of Covid-19 Vaccines Recognized for Specified Purposes" and under the World Health Organization's Emergency Use Listing, the experts recommended they complete their vaccination with vaccines using the same platform or any suitable locally available alternative at least four weeks after their last shot.
Those who had been fully or partially vaccinated with vaccines not on the previously mentioned lists are recommended to start over with vaccines available in Hong Kong following the local recommended schedule.
