Editorial : In-person Class Suspension and Vaccination for Children
文章日期:2022年1月13日

【明報專訊】The city's pandemic situation has become quite worrying with increasing reports of infected residents in Tuen Mun, including a primary six student. The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) has warned that there may be hidden transmission chains in the district. As the number of local Omicron cases continues to grow, many schools have been included in the compulsory testing list. Compared with most secondary school teachers and students who have already been vaccinated, children aged under 12 have yet to receive the jab and are therefore at particularly high risk. If they catch the disease, it is highly likely that the elderly and the weak in their family will also get infected by the virus they bring home. Although the government's announcement of suspending in-person classes at primary schools and kindergartens starting this Friday will have significant ramifications, it is a necessary step to take. What has been done on the mainland and in overseas countries shows that COVID-19 vaccines can be administered to children under 12. The Hong Kong Government has decided to lower the age threshold for the Sinovac vaccine to five, which can help protect children. If the BioNTech vaccine also obtains the approval, parents will have an even wider choice of vaccines. Vaccinating children is an important step towards city-wide immunisation. The authorities should step up publicity efforts to explain and reinforce the importance and safety of vaccinating children to parents.

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