Hong Kong govt employees receive COVID-19 shots

Health care workers, police officers and other government employees in Hong Kong started receiving COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday as the city began its inoculation program. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and the city's health minister Sophia Chan were among the first people to receive their jabs on Monday, after about a million doses of China's Sinovac vaccine arrived in the territory last week. There have been several delays in vaccine shipments to the city.

Those who will receive priority for the vaccinations include the elderly, medical workers, carers at elderly homes and workers such as airline cabin crew and cross-border drivers. A recent poll conducted by the University of Hong Kong found that respondents were distrustful of the Chinese vaccine, with only about 30% willing to accept it amid concerns about its low efficacy.

In contrast, 56% of respondents were willing to take the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which Hong Kong's government has also ordered, alongside doses of the AstraZeneca jab. So far, only the Sinovac and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines have been approved for use in the city.

(Image Credit: AP)