Residents line up for vaccination against COVID-19 at the Community Vaccination Centre at Hong Kong Central Library in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, Feb 25, 2022. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Scientific committees of the Centre for Health Protection have strongly recommended a third dose of the BioNTech vaccine for adults three months after they had received two doses of the Sinovac or BioNTech vaccines. 

The proposals came as Hong Kong logged more than 10,000 local COVID-19 infections for the first time on Friday, with 47 new deaths. 

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The Hong Kong government launched a “vaccine pass” on Thursday as part of tightened social distancing measures designed to combat the fifth wave of COVID-19 infections dominated by the highly contagious Omicron variant – the worst wave since the pandemic started. 

The CHP’s Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases met on Friday to review suggestions for the use of COVID-19 vaccines in Hong Kong.

Adolescents who have received two doses of Sinovac should receive a third dose of either Sinovac or BioNTech vaccine as soon as three months after the second dose, the committees said

For children and adolescents aged 5 to 17, the committees recommended that the interval between the first two BioNTech doses be shortened from 12 weeks to eight weeks.

Adolescents who have received two doses of Sinovac should receive a third dose of either Sinovac or BioNTech vaccine as soon as three months after the second dose. Those who have received two doses of BioNTech shots are recommended to receive a third dose of the same vaccine five months after the second dose. They could also take a Sinovac dose according to personal preference, the committees said.

For immunocompromised patients, aged 12 or above, a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for better protection. Immunocompromised individuals below 12 years of age should receive three doses at this point.

READ MORE: HK lowers Sinovac jab-taking age to 3 amid raging 5th wave

The committees reiterated that COVID-19 vaccines can protect people from severe illnesses and complications from COVID-19. In Hong Kong, those who are fully vaccinated have a much lower fatality rate than those who are not. They urged all eligible residents who have yet to receive the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to get vaccinated, particularly those aged below 12 and those who are 60 and above. 

As of Friday, more than 5.1 million local residents have been fully vaccinated with two doses, representing 76.7 percent of the eligible population. 

More than 1.6 million people have so far received the booster dose.