Covid Vaccine Drive: Evaluating its success in our Community❤️

Pic source: Lin Rui of Global Times, https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202102/1214632.shtml

In Hong Kong, whether or not to take the Covid vaccine and which type of Covid vaccine to take is a matter of personal choice. Currently, 2 Covid vaccines are offered by the government—(1) the Comirnaty vaccine developed by Fosun Pharma and Pfizer-BioNTech (commonly known as BioNTech vaccine) and (2) the CoronaVac vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech (commonly known as Sinovac). The Hong Kong government also ordered several million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, but some experts are lobbying the government to cancel the order as there have been reported cases of blood clots after taking AstraZeneca for those under 30 years old.

According to the World Health Organization’s guidance document dated 16 February 2021 on the “Status of Covid -19 Vaccines within WHO EUL/PQ evaluation process”, the BioNTech vaccine has been approved by the World Health Organization while Sinovac vaccine’s dossier was accepted by the WHO for review.

Source: Depositphotos, https://depositphotos.com/stock-photos/choice.html

Localhood conducted an online poll on its blog on Covid vaccine take-up in our community and the poll was sent to Localhood volunteers, friends, family and Localhood readers. 96 people responded to the online poll which was conducted from 15 March 2021 to 31 March 2021. The poll question was: “To gauge neighbour interest in taking the Covid vaccine.”. Respondents can choose among 6 answers: “1. Yes, the Sinovac vaccine. 2. Yes, the BioNtech vaccine. 3. No, I don’t see the need as Covid only affects elderly or the ill. 4. No, I will wait and see any adverse reactions. 5. No, there is insufficient insurance cover for vaccine adverse effects. 6. No, for other reasons.”. Below is a pie chart showing the results of the poll.

LocalHood Community Poll result

Interestingly, this online poll was conducted during the early stages of vaccine administration in Hong Kong and there were reported side effects from taking the Sinovac and BioNtech vaccine. Nevertheless, our Localhood community overwhelmingly chose to take the BioNtech vaccine (74% of respondents) rather than taking the wait-and-see approach (18% of respondents).

Recently I took my shot of Covid vaccine😊. Here are some tips for booking and taking the Covid vaccine that I might be helpful to those of you who are planning to get one in the coming days:

1. Book online and mark down clearly the centre name and address and the name of the Covid vaccine as stated in the government website (i.e. Comirnaty is the official name for BioNtech vaccine, CoronaVac is the official name for Sinovac vaccine). Note there are 2 doses of each Covid vaccine. Mark down both booking dates and time;

2. If you are working, go on a weekend or after work as both Covid vaccines may tire you out for most of the day;

3. On the scheduled day, have full meals, drink plenty of water and make sure you have enough sleep. Bring your HKID and make sure you have the sms appointment reminder from the government on your phone to show the staff;

4. Masks cannot be taken off during the length of your wait in the centre, taking the vaccine and mandated 15-minute rest after taking the vaccine. Make sure you drink plenty of water beforehand;

5. Bring a jacket as the air-conditioning at the centre is turned up high;

6. Ask the booking staff in orange jackets to confirm your booking for the next dose of the vaccine. They can print your next booking details for you;

7. Be prepared to take a long nap after taking the vaccine. Fatigue may only kick in 30 minutes after taking the vaccine;

8. Strenuous exercise on the day of vaccination is not recommended;

9. Innoculated arm may feel sore and difficult to lift up high for around 2 days;

10. Keep your vaccination paper records in a safe place, keep an e-record and consider to download the eHealth app. Have a read on the app ratings to consider whether to download.

Source: Tim Cordell via CartoonStock, www.cartoonstock.com

To jab or not to jab—that is your choice!! Make an informed decision with official resources, consideration of your personal health and circumstances and get a doctor’s advice if necessary. From what we hear though, at some point in the future, proof of vaccination might be required for outings like going to the cinema, museums or travelling.

The above tips on taking the jab are from personal experience for reference only, talk to friends and family who have taken the jab for more tips.

All the best ❤❤!!