Boosters extended to anyone who had Sinovac

Hong Kong is extending its Covid booster programme to cover anyone who has received the Sinovac jab.

Bookings for such people will open on November 23, although there must be a gap of at least six months between a person’s second and third dose of vaccine.

Until now, only priority groups and those over 60 have been eligible for a booster.

Officials say operations have been smooth and the programme can now include more people.

“After assessing the capacity and service demand of the community vaccination centres and hospital Covid-19 vaccination stations, we have decided to expand the arrangements to cover more eligible persons to enhance protection,” a government spokesman said.

People can choose to get the Sinovac or BioNTech vaccine for their third jab.

Hong Kong authorities reported four new imported Covid-19 cases on Thursday.