The Health Bureau (SSM) announced in a statement yesterday that tomorrow it will start the administration of BioNTech mRNA bivalent vaccines and BioNTech mRNA jabs for children aged from six months to four years.
The BioNTech mRNA bivalent vaccines provide antibody protection against the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, in addition to antibody protection against the original COVID-19 strain.
Yesterday’s statement said that after the two new types of BioNTech mRNA jabs were delivered to Macau on Friday last week, the Health Bureau has now fully completed its procedures for receiving them.
The statement said that potential vaccinees can book a jab of the two types of vaccines on the Health Bureau’s COVID-19 vaccination online appointment system from 10 a.m. today, and the inoculations will start tomorrow.
The statement noted that the new BioNTech mRNA bivalent vaccine will only be used for the administration of booster jabs, i.e., it will not be used for the administration of the first two jabs that provide basic full immunity.
Arrangements for 1st & 2nd booster jabs
According to the statement, health workers at inoculation facilities will administer either the new bivalent vaccine, or the traditional monovalent vaccine that only contains components for the original COVID-19 strain, to those who receive a third dose as their first booster jab, depending on the “availability” of the bivalent and monovalent doses.
On the other hand, according to the statement, health workers will “primarily” administer the new bivalent vaccine to those who receive a fourth dose as their second booster jab.
The statement also pointed out that those who have been fully inoculated with inactivated COVID-19 vaccines can choose an mRNA dose for their first booster jab. Furthermore, the statement said, those who have received an inactivated jab as their first booster shot after having been fully inoculated with inactivated vaccines can also choose an mRNA jab for their second booster shot.
Facilities for jabs
According to the statement, the new BioNTech mRNA bivalent vaccine will be administered at four of the city’s various inoculation facilities, namely the Ilha Verde Health Centre, the Ocean Gardens Health Centre, the Macau Forum complex in Zape, and the outpatient department of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre.
However, the administration of the new BioNTech mRNA vaccine for children aged from six months to four years will only be carried out at two vaccination facilities, namely the Ilha Verde Health Centre and the Ocean Gardens Health Centre.
Yesterday’s statement underlined that the possible side effects of the new BioNTech mRNA bivalent vaccine are similar to those of the German biotechnology company’s traditional mRNA monovalent vaccine, such as injection-site pain, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, and fever. The statement said that the possible side effects will normally subside in a few days after the vaccinations.
Currently, the Macau government’s COVID-19 booster vaccination programme generally covers all those aged 18 or over who have been fully inoculated with inactivated vaccines or mRNA vaccines.
However, those aged 12 or over who are moderately or severely immunocompromised are also covered by Macau’s COVID-19 booster vaccination programme.
In addition, since June this year those aged between 12 and 17 have also been allowed to receive a booster jab if they want, if they need to visit places affected by COVID-19 for instance, but in which case they can only choose the BioNTech mRNA vaccine for their booster shot.
Both types of COVID-19 vaccines currently available in Macau, China’s Sinopharm inactivated vaccine and Germany’s BioNTech mRNA vaccine, are two-dose vaccines, i.e., requiring two jabs to develop basic full immunity.
Yesterday’s statement also noted that the new BioNTech mRNA vaccine for kids aged from six months to four years is a monovalent vaccine (aka univalent), which only contains components for the original COVID-19 strain.
A health worker administers a BioNTech mRNA jab to a boy at Hong Kong Children’s Hospital in Kowloon Bay earlier this month.
– Photo: Hong Kong’s Information Services Department (ISD)
