Hongkongers making wills before getting jabbed

Researching vaccine options, getting a body check and booking time off work are common among those getting jabs against Covid-19, but some people are going a step further and making wills before inoculation day.

Wong Tai Sin district councillor and solicitor Bruce Liu helps people to prepare wills, at no cost, at his office every Thursday.

He says people have told him they are so worried about possible side effects from the jabs that they want to prepare for the worst.

“They told me they already made appointments for the vaccine. They came to my office to write a will. Maybe they have some worries about the effect of the vaccine,” he said.

The rush to make wills highlights the reservations many Hong Kong people have about getting Covid jabs, with a low uptake rate in the territory.

Experts have reassured the public that the two vaccines available in the city – BioNTech and Sinovac – are safe and effective.

More than two million doses have been administered in Hong Kong so far. Thirty-two people have died since getting a vaccine, but in each case, a panel of experts ruled there was no link between their deaths and the jabs.

The chairman of Hong Kong Patients Voices, Alex Lam, who is also a solicitor, notes that people make wills under a variety of circumstances, such as before going on holiday or after getting sick, and the pandemic may just be reminding people of their own mortality.

“It may not be related to the vaccination but perhaps fearing the fatality cases over Covid vaccination… some people may be triggered to make a will as a measure of better preparation for life and death planning,” he said.