Only around 24,000 out of 181,527 doses of Covid-19 vaccines administered as booster shots were done with different vaccines from the primary vaccination course of two doses, which is known as the “vaccine cocktail,” Dr. Leong Iek Hou, coordinator at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in response to an inquiry from the Times during yesterday’s health authorities press briefing on the Covid-19 situation in Macau.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended doing use this jab cocktails as a way to increase the response of the immune system and there are some people that did make that choice. I can say that around 24,000 booster shots were done with a different type of vaccine than the regular vaccination. The large majority of these cases were people that took the booster shot with the mRNA vaccine,” Leong said.
Still, the same official noted that, according to data the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center has been compiling and analyzing, not only from Macau but also from the neighboring regions, namely Hong Kong, “independently of which vaccine people choose to take as the booster jab, the immunity protection is similar, [at] around 95%,” she said, adding, “So there is no real difference in taking the mRNA or the inactivated virus vaccine, the most important [thing] is to get the three doses.”
Data disclosed by the center shows that, in Macau, from a total of 1,246,959 doses of Covid-19 vaccine inoculations as of 4 p.m. on March 31, over 1 million doses were of Sinopharm’s deactivated virus vaccine, while some 220,000 were of BioNTech’s mRNA vaccine.
As for the third dose of the vaccine, figures show a similar trend, with just around 40,000 doses out of a total of 181,527 being the mRNA vaccine, with the number of the inactivated virus vaccine surpassing 130,000.
According to several studies conducted worldwide, the use of mixed vaccines enables antibody response in case of infection. Conclusions were also certified and followed by the WHO, which started to recommend the procedure.
Ineligibility to vaccination certificate
Leong explained that people considered ineligible for vaccination will also be allowed to return to Macau but they need to present a medical certificate that proves such ineligibility, explaining clearly the grounds and the period of validity of the ineligibility, up to two months.
This comes after the enforcement of new rules set to enter into force this Sunday, which state that, in general terms, all people over 12 years old returning to Macau from foreign countries, as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan, need to be fully vaccinated.
The doctor explained that the reason there is a ceiling of up to two months is because, in almost all cases, people are ineligible to be inoculated for a temporary reason.
“Usually the reason [of the ineligibility] is temporary and so we established this period [up to two months] to avoid […] people [using] these certificates for longer than necessary and as a way to shield themselves and avoid the vaccination,” Leong said, adding, “Our purpose is [for] most people can be already vaccinated before traveling to Macau so that they take fewer risks of being infected during the trip.”
This measure continues to not apply to visitors or people arriving from the mainland due to a “practical reason,” explained Leong, saying that the health authorities are observing the developments of the disease in the different areas on the mainland and imposing the necessary restrictions, when justifiable.
34,000 vaccinated among the younger group
The Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) is keen to increase even further the vaccination rate of the younger group of residents (3 to 11 years old), Luis Gomes, acting department head for non-tertiary education, said while noting that, for the time being, the students vaccinated in this age group already number 34,000.
Gomes said that, at the moment, the DSEDJ is negotiating with schools for a new round of vaccination through the institutions, adding that, so far, 27 schools have already registered for this new round.
This weekend, the DSEDJ will also promote a new “Vaccination Day for Children” to take place at the Forum Macau vaccination post, where parents can take their children to be vaccinated under special conditions.
The same official also hinted that the DSEDJ is currently studying enforcing a “vaccinated only” rule for large-scale events such as Summer Holidays Activities and School Competitions events, among others.
Gomes said that a decision had not yet been made but that a full plan should be unveiled during May.
