Addressing Friday’s press conference about Macau’s novel coronavirus situation, Tai Wa Hou, a clinical director of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, said that the Health Bureau (SSM) is considering a third COVID-19 vaccine dose as a booster jab.
Tai said that administering a third jab appears to be necessary. However, he also said that the criteria and target groups for a third dose were still being analysed by the Health Bureau. He said that international practice would be Macau’s point of reference in deciding who should get a third shot, and when the booster shots should be rolled out.
Both types of COVID-19 vaccines currently available in Macau, China’s Sinopharm inactivated vaccine and Germany’s BioNTech mRNA vaccine, require two jabs for people to develop immunity.
Tai made the remarks when replying to questions from reporters who mentioned reports according to which the mainland health authorities are studying the possibility of giving a BioNTech shot as a booster jab to those who have been fully inoculated against COVID-19 with inactivated vaccines – two vaccines developed by Sinopharm and one vaccine developed by Sinovac require two jabs to develop immunity. The reporters asked whether the Macau government would roll out a third COVID-19 vaccine dose as a booster shot.
Tai noted that some countries are planning a third COVID-19 vaccine dose as a booster jab while some have already started administering a third shot, because of which the Macau Health Bureau is also studying the possibility of giving vaccinees’ a third dose.
Tai noted that receiving two COVID-19 jabs is effective in preventing serious conditions and deaths from the novel coronavirus disease. However, Tai said, two COVID-19 jabs would be insufficient for preventing infection and transmission of the disease.
Furthermore, Tai noted that as time passes the COVID-19 vaccine’s protection may gradually decrease. Consequently, Tai said that the administration of a third dose would be necessary.
“A third jab appears to be necessary. The questions are who should get a third shot and when the shots should start,” Tai said.
Tai also said that not only those who have been inoculated with Sinopharm vaccine, but also those who have received their BioNTech jabs in Macau would possibly need a third dose.
Despite the fact that research studies have indicated that the level of antibodies generated by the Sinopharm vaccine is lower than the level of antibodies generated by BioNTech vaccine, Tai said that deciding whether a third dose would be given to those who have been fully (twice) inoculated against COVID-19 in Macau would not only depend on the levels of antibodies generated by the two types of COVID-19 vaccines, but also on the still available stock of the two kinds of vaccines.
Meanwhile, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced in a statement yesterday that as of 4 p.m. yesterday, 451,721 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered to 268,722 people in Macau, comprising 84,085 who had received their first jab and 184,637 who had received their second jab.
Macau’s COVID-19 vaccination rate stood at 39.4 percent as of 4 p.m. yesterday – i.e. nearly 40 percent of the population has received at least one jab.
A total of 18 adverse events were reported in the past 24 hours (until 4 p.m. yesterday). The total number of adverse events since the start of the vaccination drive stood at 1,950, or 0.43 percent of the total number of jabs, including six serious cases.
Tai Wa Hou, one of the three clinical directors of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, addresses Friday’s press conference about the city’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. Photo: GCS
