Talking Points: Should Hong Kong’s Covid-19 vaccine scheme continue, although three people have died?

Until then, we should all stay at home as much as possible and follow a fixed routine to ensure our safety.
Yoyo Ng

Should Hongkongers receive cash handouts instead of electronic vouchers?

Some people believe the Hong Kong government’s vaccine programme has been poorly managed. That may be so but I think the jabs should still go ahead.

Experts around the world have not found any links between vaccines and death so far. People have been asked to consult their doctors before they get the vaccine, which is good advice.

Some Hongkongers say Covid-19 vaccines may not offer long-term protection. They were only developed within the past year, so it’s too early to come to such a conclusion. The World Health Organisation may have the answer soon.

But it’s encouraging to hear that most people who recover from Covid-19 develop an immune response that provides at least some kind of protection against reinfection.

The vaccine doesn’t only protect you, but all those around you, especially high-risk groups such as the elderly.
Aidan Szeto

Hong Kong’s vaccine scheme should absolutely continue. There have been only three deaths so far after being vaccinated, and there is no conclusive proof that the vaccine was what caused them.

If we stop the scheme, there will likely be more infections in Hong Kong and that means more deaths.

The only solution is to continue on the same path, and aim to vaccinate as many Hongkongers as possible.
Andy Poon

A man works in a laboratory of Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech. Photo: Reuters

The Covid-19 vaccine scheme should go ahead despite the deaths. However, the government should prioritise finding out what caused the deaths, and sharing the information with the public.

Further, scientists must do more research into the vaccines to prevent such deaths in the future. This would give the public more faith in the vaccines.

Many Hongkongers are feeling jittery after hearing about the deaths. The government needs to work to put people’s minds at ease, especially those who have already been vaccinated.
Lily Ye

No, because the deaths have shown the vaccine may not be suitable for everyone. What’s more, we don’t know anything about its side-effects.

The Covid-19 vaccination scheme should be suspended until scientists totally understand the product and explain it to the public.

Otherwise, people wouldn’t trust the vaccines and the scheme will fail.
Amy Wong

I was shocked and scared to hear that people had died after receiving the vaccine.

The vaccine was created to protect people, but it is killing them instead.

Scientists need to re-evaluate the vaccine and maybe make a new one. We cannot take risks with people’s lives. We should not be used as scientific experiments.

The scheme should be paused until a better alternative is found – one that will help us go back to our normal lives.
Kyle Lai

If you could get the vaccine tomorrow, would you?

The vaccine is the best way to reduce the risk of infection. Even though a man died after receiving the jab, professor David Hui Shu-cheong said the death was likely related to heart disease.

While the vaccine may not be good for someone suffering from other diseases, it is safe for healthy people, so the scheme should continue.
Sammi Ip

The scheme should not go ahead. The vaccine has not gone through enough tests and may still have problems that haven’t been detected, so there’s still too many unknowns.

Also, if the government doesn’t at least pause the scheme and take time to do more research, the public won’t trust them and won’t go out to get the jab.
Nicole Chow

I think the reason the man died after receiving the jab was unrelated and his death was not caused by the vaccine, so the scheme should continue.

Still, we should prioritise the BioNTech vaccine over the one from Sinovac, as it’s gone through more tests and more scientists think it’s safe for people to use.
Lau Ka-ho