4,000 choose BioNTech jabs – 10 pct of appointments
The local government reassured residents yesterday that the two types of COVID-19 vaccines currently available in Macau are safe – China’s Sinopharm inactivated jabs and Germany’s BioNTech mRNA shots, as the probability of serious adverse events after being administered either of the two kinds of inoculations is very low.
Tai Wa Hou, a Health Bureau (SSM) official tasked with overseeing the operation of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination programme, made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre yesterday, the first day of the start of the government’s COVID-19 inoculations with BioNTech vaccines.
Tai said that since the launch of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination drive last month, some 40,000 people have made an appointment for their COVID-19 jabs, some 4,000 of whom have chosen BioNTech jabs. The about 40,000 people include about 6,500 seniors aged 60 or over, 1,470 of whom have chosen mRNA jabs.
Macau’s population stands at about 680,000, according to the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC).
BioNTech mRNA jabs are suitable for people aged at least 16 – i.e. also suitable for senior citizens. The National Medical Products Administration says that normally Sinopharm jabs are suitable for people aged between 18 and 59, while those aged 60 or over should only be given Sinopharm jabs provided that they are in good health and are subject to a high COVID-19 risk.
In Macau, those aged 60 or over who are subject to a high COVID-19 risk will only be given Sinopharm jabs after passing an assessment of their state of health.
The government’s inoculation drive started on February 9 with Sinopharm jabs covering those in priority groups such as medical workers, firefighters, police and customs officers, air crew members, public transport drivers, staff of social service facilities, teaching staff and casino workers – i.e. the campaign’s first phase, before the second phase, which covers all local residents, commenced on Monday last week.
The COVID-19 jabs are free of charge. Each person requires two jabs. The government has said that its free-of-charge COVID-19 vaccination drive will include non-resident workers later this year – i.e. the vaccination drive’s third phase.
Tai also revealed yesterday that 100 senior citizens aged 60 or over who wanted the Sinopharm jabs have failed to pass the health status assessment questionnaire on the government’s COVID-19 vaccination online appointment system, adding that 50 of them have instead chosen BioNTech jabs, while the others have cancelled their appointments.
The government’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre said in a statement last night that since the launch of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination drive, as of 6 p.m. yesterday a total of 41,110 had made an appointment to be inoculated against the novel coronavirus, 17,071 of them have had their first jab already.
The statement underlined that so far there have been no cases of serious adverse events after getting inoculated against COVID-19 reported. Since the launch of the vaccination drive last month, nine cases of minor adverse events have been reported, the statement said.
Tai was asked by the media about the death of a 63-year-old man in Hong Kong after being inoculated with the Sinovac vaccine. Tai noted that while both Sinovac and Sinopharm jabs are inactivated vaccines, they are developed by two different pharmaceutical companies. “The jabs administered in Hong Kong and the Sinopharm inactivated jabs given in Macau are different brands. I have to stress that the two kinds of vaccines administered to residents are both very safe, and the probability of serious side effects [after being administered either of the two kinds of jabs] is very low, residents can be reassured so they can get their jabs,” Tai said.
According to RTHK, the Hong Kong government’s panel of experts – the Expert Committee on Clinical Events Assessment Following COVID-19 Immunisation – yesterday unanimously took the view that the 63-year-old patient likely died of a heart attack on Sunday, and that his death had no direct link with the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine that he received two days before his passing.
Tai also underlined that adverse events which might occur after getting inoculated against COVID-19 are not necessarily caused by the vaccine.
Tai urged residents not to lose confidence in COVID-19 vaccinations merely due to “very occasional events”.
Tai noted that only a small number of people who have had either Sinopharm jabs or BioNTech jabs would possibly come down with minor side effects such as headache, fever, injection-site pain or sleeplessness.
Sinopharm vaccine is developed by Beijing Institute of Biological Products under the China National Biotec Group (CNBG), which is affiliated with the state-owned China National Pharmaceutical Group (also known as Sinopharm).
Sinovac vaccine is developed by Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech.
BioNTech in Macau is distributed by Shanghai-based Fosun.
Tai Wa Hou, the coordinator of the Health Bureau’s (SSM) COVID-19 vaccination programme, speaks to reporters at the public hospital. Photo: Maria Cheang Ut Meng
A nurse administers a BioNTech COVID-19 jab to a woman at the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre yesterday, the first day of the start of the government’s COVID-19 inoculations with mRNA vaccines. Photo: GCS
