HKU will set up a Community Vaccination Centre (CVC) at Loke Yew Hall of the Main Building
In response to urgent public demand for COVID-19 vaccination, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) will launch a Community Vaccination Centre (CVC) on its main campus on February 23, Wednesday. Online booking will open tomorrow (February 18).
Located at historic Loke Yew Hall, the HKU CVC will provide 2,000 BioNTech vaccine doses daily to citizens aged 18 and above. Priorities will be given to the elderly. Medical doctors will be on duty to advise citizens who have health concerns about getting the vaccine.
"We have an urgent need to cater to the vulnerable in society, in particular senior citizens. Vaccination can protect them from developing more serious diseases and mortality," said Professor Ivan Ngai Fan Hung, Director of the HKU CVC, and Clinical Professor of the Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine. "By creating the CVC on campus, we hope to foster concerted efforts to promote public health and well-being." Professor Hung hopes to raise the adult vaccination rate to at least 90%. Current vaccination rate is only about 40% for those aged 80 and above, which is far from satisfactory.
The HKU CVC will be staffed from 8 am to 8 pm, seven days a week, by a team of volunteer doctors from HKU, and retired doctors and nurses.Reservation for jabs at the HKU CVC will open tomorrow via the government Covid-19 vaccination booking system. Walk-in quotas will be set aside with priority given to senior citizens.
"Throughout HKU's history, our members have responded to the needs of the times. Today, we have a critical opportunity to use our expertise to serve and to lead," said Professor Xiang Zhang, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKU.
For infectious disease control, a "bubble" will be set up around Loke Yew Hall to create a dedicated path to the CVC by visitors, who will not have access to the rest of the campus. HKU currently requires people entering the campus to be fully vaccinated. Those who have taken only the first dose are required to present a negative COVID-19 test result.
Separately, a CVC managed by the LKS Faculty of Medicine is currently providing COVID-19 vaccination service to adults at Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong in Wong Chuk Hang. On February 24, this CVC will be changed to provide BioNTech jabs to children aged 5 to 11.
