Govt says vaccine mandate may cover children later

A government official on Tuesday said children under 12 years old may later be covered by the vaccine mandate.

The government had announced that, starting from Thursday, restaurants, shopping malls and supermarkets will be off-limits to the unjabbed, but children younger than 12, along with those who are medically unfit for jabs and some others, will be exempt from the rule.

But deputy health secretary Kevin Choi told an RTHK radio programme the vaccine mandate may in future be expanded to cover younger children.

“Vaccination for children started relatively late… we are giving kids aged between 3 and 12 jabs in phases, so at the moment the vaccine pass only applies for 12-year-olds or above,” he said.

“Recent cases show unvaccinated elderly and children may be seriously ill if infected, so getting jabbed can help them and we don’t rule out lowering the age applicable for the vaccine pass, but we will think about that carefully.”

Choi said other exemptions may also be subject to change, and a more stringent vaccine pass scheme may be put in place to help Hong Kong ward off the coronavirus.

For the time being, those picking up takeaway food or passing through a shopping mall to go home can do so without showing proof that they are vaccinated.