Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam gets her second jab of China's Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine. She was among the first to get vaccinated when the government kicked off the vaccination program last month.

Hong Kong saw more than 144,000 people snap up Covid-19 vaccine appointments the first day the government expanded access to a majority of residents, a sharp increase amid its bid to boost a lackluster inoculation rollout.

Some 30,800 people reserved slots to get the Chinese-made Sinovac Biotech Ltd. shot and 113,200 others booked doses of Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE’s vaccine at community vaccine centers in the 24 hours ending at 8 p.m. Tuesday, the government said. The number of bookings soared from just 18,600 the day earlier.

Data was not available from private clinics, some of which are also offering Sinovac’s shot.

Before the expansion, only some 200,000 people -- comprising just 5.4% of priority groups eligible like the elderly and healthcare workers -- had come forward for shots since the vaccine drive started on Feb. 26.

The total number of people able to access vaccines now represents some 70% of the city’s population of 7.5 million, with adults aged 30 to 59 years old now eligible. The government added 23,000 new reservation slots to daily capacity, and has increased the number of community centers offering the BioNTech shot from seven to 19.

The extended drive comes as the city grapples with a new outbreak of the virus centered on its expatriate community, including employees of international financial firms.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam said at a Legislative Council meeting that the government would explore whether there was room for virus-related social distancing measures to be relaxed for people who were vaccinated. She added that authorities had held preliminary talks with China regarding the easing of some travel restrictions for individuals who had received two vaccine doses.

While Hong Kong’s healthy adult population is one of the first in the world to gain eligibility for inoculation, the expanded access reflects a major vaccine hesitation problem that will likely delay the city’s ability to reopen to the world. Officials widened eligibility earlier than expected after uptake was dismal among priority groups, leaving millions of doses unused.

Demand for Covid-19 vaccines has generally been lower in Asia, where contained outbreaks and low death tolls in places like Japan and Singapore has meant that people feel less urgency and more skepticism toward rapidly-developed shots.

It’s unclear if the younger adult population will ultimately help boost these underwhelming numbers, after the initial burst of pent-up demand.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: [ Ссылка ]

Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world.

To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit [ Ссылка ], or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app.

Have a story to tell? Fill out this survey for a chance to have it featured on Bloomberg Quicktake: [ Ссылка ]

Connect with us on…
YouTube: [ Ссылка ]
Breaking News on YouTube: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]

свернуть