Hong Kong receives first batch of Covid XBB variant vaccines, prioritises the elderly

Health authorities on Thursday said Hong Kong had received its first batch of Covid-19 vaccines targeting the XBB variant, adding that high-risk groups, including the elderly, would be prioritised.

The shipment consists of about 100,000 new-generation XBB vaccine doses manufactured by US drug firm Pfizer.

“In view of the limited local supply of the XBB vaccine, the government will arrange the vaccination of high-risk individuals in batches,” the Department of Health said.

“Care home residents and the elderly aged 65 or above will be accorded priority to receive the first batch of XBB mRNA vaccines.”

High-risk groups, including the elderly, will get vaccine prioritisation. Photo: Sam Tsang

The details of the vaccination arrangements are expected to be announced in early December.

Authorities said they had carried out stringent checking and inspection to ensure the vaccine met product specifications and the transport process was following relevant cold-chain requirements.

The doses have been kept in validated ultra-low temperature freezers to ensure proper storage in accordance with the temperature specified by the drug manufacturer.

The latest data from sewage surveillance and severe and fatal cases of Covid-19 showed that XBB and its descendant lineages continued to be the most prevalent variant in the city, comprising more than 99 per cent of all characterised specimens.

As of Sunday, more than 80 per cent of the city population had received at least three doses of Covid vaccine. More than 1.1 million of them had already taken a fourth jab.

About a fifth of the city’s elderly population aged 60 or above remains unvaccinated.

Residents who have never caught the virus can get three vaccine shots for free, while the recovered should take one dose less than the uninfected ones.

The free jabs are provided at designated public and private clinics, as well as public hospitals.

For additional doses, residents can get them from the private market at their own expense.

But priority groups, including those aged 50 or above, people with chronic illnesses and aged between 18 and 49, the immunocompromised, pregnant women, and healthcare workers can receive free booster shots within this year.

The two scientific committees under the Centre for Health Protection jointly recommended the vaccine targeting the XBB variant as a “preferred” choice when available, saying that people at highest risk of developing severe Covid symptoms should be prioritised.

Experts of the committees reviewed data from the XBB variant vaccines made by US drug firms Pfizer and Moderna.