The Hong Kong government has condemned a Singaporean who received four vaccine shots – two in Hong Kong and Singapore – branding him as extremely selfish and irresponsible.
A man was already fully vaccinated in his hometown in Singapore but still received two Covid-19 jabs in Hong Kong, where he works.
Hong Kong authorities are now mulling prosecution against the 30-year-old Singaporean, who wanted to visit bars in Hong Kong but was unable to because his previous shots were not logged on the region’s e-record.
In total, he received two Moderna vaccines in Singapore and two Pfizer BioNTech shots in Hong Kong.
On July 20, the Hong Kong government issued a statement condemning the man’s actions as “extremely selfish and irresponsible” for wasting the city’s vaccine resources, implicating the medical staff who inoculated him and posing a risk to his own health.
“The government will conduct [an] investigation and consider taking appropriate legal actions. If necessary, we will prosecute the relevant person,” an official said.
The incident revealed a major “loophole” in the country’s vaccination system as the medical staff is not required to ask or confirm if the recipient has been inoculated overseas.
There is currently no global system for verifying a person’s vaccination status.
There are also no legal grounds to criminalize false declarations at vaccination centers.
The Hong Kong government is also being asked to consider including internationally accepted vaccines in its electronic records.
Respiratory medicine specialist Dr. Leung Chi-chiu says four jabs offer little medical benefits and might affect one’s immune system.
“Given the unknown risks, it is not worthwhile for anyone to do so, and people’s views should be rectified via promotion and education by the government,” he said.
Only last week, San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora admitted to having received four vaccine shots; two Sinopharm doses in December-ahead of the vaccination program in March- and two Pfizer “booster shots”.
Zamora called the first two doses “bootleg” vaccine brands after many countries do not allow Chinese-made vaccines.
He later told reporters that he was following doctors’ orders since he is immunodeficient.
Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire advised against mixing and matching different vaccine brands as well as from taking booster shots that have not been approved.
"Gusto namin magpaaalala that mixing and matching and booster doses ay hindi pa nirerekomenda sa ngayon dahil hindi pa kumpleto ang mga ebidensya," Vergeire said in a briefing. (HD)
Tags: #HongKong, #Singapore, #Covid19vaccine, #multipleshots