Nip moves to clarify comments on BioNTech Covid jabs

2021-04-16 HKT 09:47″ title=”The government says people who need more time to check their suitability for a jab can still get Biontech at other medical institutions after September. File photo: Shutterstock”>

The government says people who need more time to check their suitability for a jab can still get Biontech at other medical institutions after September. File photo: Shutterstock

Civil service chief, Patrick Nip, on Friday appeared to backtrack on comments that the BioNTech vaccine would not be available in Hong Kong after September.

Nip, who’s in charge of the vaccination drive, clarified that if some people needed more time to check their suitability for a jab, they could still get the German-manufactured vaccine at other medical institutions.

He also acknowledged the low efficacy rate of the Sinovac jab but said it was still effective in preventing deaths or serious illness from Covid, and urged more people to get vaccinated.

On Thursday, he said the BioNTech product had a short shelf life and the government would close its vaccination centres that offer it at the end of September.

He denied this was intended to force people to get inoculated.