On March 31, 2023, the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region announced that, from April 20, high-risk groups will be able to receive free doses of COVID-19 vaccines, while low-risk groups, including children, will only be able to receive their vaccines in the private market through the method of paying against themselves. The supply of CoronaVac^® by SINOVAC must meet the needs of these low-risk groups, while helping to deal with potential future COVID-19 outbreaks. Immunization consultations can be made directly in medical institutions and private clinics.

“ SINOVAC's ongoing fight against COVID-19 is based on our mission to 'provide vaccines to eliminate human diseases,'” said Yin Weidong, president, president and CEO of SINOVAC. “From the development of the COVID-19 vaccine to obtaining market approvals, from the first shipment of CoronaVac^® to Hong Kong 800 days ago to the launch of a massive public vaccination program, SINOVAC and Hong Kong have taken steps together to emerge from the crisis caused by the pandemic. With the future in mind, SINOVAC remains committed to meeting public health needs."

CoronaVac^® is the first COVID-19 vaccine to be used in children from three years of age, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) emergency use list. Since March 2023, CoronaVac^® has been authorized for use in more than 60 countries, regions and international organizations. The cumulative world supply exceeds 2.9 billion doses.

Several published studies have shown that CoronaVac^® has a good safety profile for healthy people, as well as for people with special health conditions, effectively reducing serious diseases and deaths related to COVID-19. During the outbreak of the ômicron variant in Hong Kong, adults vaccinated with three doses showed more than 90% protection against serious or fatal diseases. The efficacy of the vaccine against moderate to severe diseases has been shown to be as high as 95.8% in children/adolescents aged three to 18 years who received two doses.

Hospitalization and the long-term effects of COVID-19 can be serious, especially among children, highlighting the need for affordable vaccines and boosters.

During the fifth wave of the pandemic in Hong Kong, in 2022, researchers from the University of Hong Kong analyzed 1,144 cases of children aged 11 years or younger hospitalized due to COVID-191. The analysis found that two deaths (0.2%) were recorded among the 1,144 cases during the initial wave of omicron; 21 children (1.8%) required hospitalization in the pediatric ICU and the relative risk was higher for omicron than for the influenza virus. The number of neurological complications was 15% for ômicron, higher than that of the influenza and parainfluenza viruses.

The lasting consequences of post-COVID conditions, including multisystem inflammatory syndrome (SIM-C) and prolonged COVID, can result in persistent health problems for children, such as damage to the central nervous system, memory deterioration and insomnia, even if they recover from the initial infection. It is crucial to recognize that the impact on children's health should not be underestimated.

"To reduce the risk of infection among children and take into account that most children do not belong to the priority group of free booster doses, SINOVAC has developed a vaccine donation plan," said Helen Yang, commercial director of SINOVAC. “In its early stage, we plan to provide thousands of free doses of CoronaVac^® to children/adolescents aged three to 12 in Hong Kong, including local and non-local residents. SINOVAC is actively seeking opportunities for collaboration and has been talking to organizations in Hong Kong to explore the feasibility of free vaccination. We hope to bring this benefit to the local community as soon as possible."

Some regions, including most markets in Europe and America, currently do not have the supply of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines for children, which leaves parents who prefer the safety and effectiveness of inactivated vaccines with limited options. SINOVAC is addressing these concerns by providing the Hong Kong private market with its inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, thus offering a viable solution to these patients.

HKSAR news.gov.hk: Chinese article by Professor Lo Chung Mo, dated September 15, 2022.https://www.news.gov.hk/chi/2022/09/20220915/20220915_145920_647.html