社評雙語道：增加誘因提升幼童接種率Increasing incentives to boost inoculation rate of young children
原文
下文摘錄自9月3日香港《文匯報》︰
本港疫情持續，接連有幼童染疫後出現重症甚至危殆，小學和幼稚園接連有班級和學校因為爆疫而停課，而幼童疫苗接種率只有12%，兒科病房又爆滿，情況令人擔心。現時幼童和兒童的疫苗接種率不足以築起強大的保護屏障，政府既要加快擴大「疫苗通行證」的範圍，也要加大宣傳教育力度，大力推展到校接種，務求盡快補強幼童的防疫短板，保障幼童安全健康。
近期兒童入院個案上升，當中一名15個月大女嬰出現休克情況。醫學界早有共識，接種疫苗是預防重症和死亡的最有效手段，但截至9月初，全港3歲以下幼童的接種率只有12%，5歲至11歲兒童第二針接種率也只有六成，是合資格接種年齡組別中最低。
3歲以下幼童8月4日才獲納入接種疫苗範圍，至9月初接近一個月，有12,000多人接種，平均每天只有400名幼童接種，進度並不理想。幼童和兒童接種率低有多方面原因，首先，有家長誤以為幼童和兒童染疫病情較輕，反因聽信謠言而擔心接種有副作用，對子女接種態度不積極；其次，個別家長希望子女接種復必泰兒童疫苗，但香港不知何時有供應，讓子女承受巨大染疫風險。
針對部分家長存有錯誤的接種觀念，政府要加大正確資訊的宣傳教育力度，邀請專家以科學數據、實際案例提醒家長，幼童和兒童染疫後果可以很嚴重。政府專家顧問劉宇隆形容，本港正與疫情「賽跑」，提升兒童和幼童的疫苗接種率刻不容緩。
另外，多位專家都強調，無論是科興還是復必泰，兩種疫苗對防重症都有明顯成效。疫情嚴峻，病毒不會等疫苗，家長更不能等疫苗。
增強誘因也是提升接種率的重要手段。本港12至59歲人群的疫苗接種率近乎100%，這些人群都有不同的外部誘因促使其接種。中學要達到九成接種率才能全日面授，家長、學生都不希望停課而積極接種；成年人絕大部分要上班和參與社會活動，12歲以上人群出入指定場所要出示「疫苗通行證」，相關誘因也足夠促使主動接種。不過，現時小學和幼稚園都維持半日面授課程，不與疫苗接種率掛鈎，「疫苗通行證」也不覆蓋這部分人群，是造成幼童和兒童接種率低的重要原因。
政府正研究將「疫苗通行證」適用年齡降至5歲以上，認為可藉此減少疫情對兒童的傷害，對此政府應盡快研究細節、早日落實。教育部門有必要將小學和幼稚園全日面授課與疫苗接種率掛鈎，增加幼童和兒童接種的誘因。對於擴大「疫苗通行證」適用範圍、將面授課與接種率掛鈎等，政府有必要盡快公布計劃詳情，包括實施的時間表，讓家長有足夠時間帶子女接種，為幼童提供更有效的保護。
譯文
A successive number of severe and even critical cases have arisen in Hong Kong as the epidemic of COVID-19 continues, and some classes of kindergarten or primary schools, or even the whole school, have been suspended due to the outbreak. Meanwhile, the inoculation rate of children aged 6 months to 3 years is 12% only, and the paediatric wards in hospitals are full, which is worrying. At present, the inoculation rate of children aged 6 months to 11 years is not high enough to build a strong protective barrier, therefore, the Government should expedite the expansion of Vaccine Pass coverage, step up publicity and education, and proactively arrange outreach vaccination at schools, to overcome the disease prevention shortcomings in the shortest time possible and safeguard the health of young children.
The hospital admission rate of young children has been on the rise, and a 15-month-old girl suffered from shock. A consensus has long been reached among the medical profession that vaccination is the most effective way to prevent severe cases and death, but until early September, the inoculation rate of children under 3 years old is 12% only, and that of children aged 5 to 11 years is as low as 60%, the lowest among all the age groups eligible for receiving vaccination.
Children under 3 became eligible for COVID-19 vaccination on 4 August, but as of early September, only more than 12,000 children had received the vaccination, with an average of 400 children per day, an unsatisfactory progress. Reasons behind the low vaccination rate among young children may vary: some parents have the misconception that symptoms of young children contracted of coronavirus are mild and worry about the falsely rumoured strong side effects of inoculation, thus being passive and unmotivated to bring their children for inoculation; others wish their children to receive Comirnaty vaccine which is not yet available in Hong Kong to children under 5 years, exposing their children to considerable risks of contracting the virus.
To dispel the misconceptions held by some parents, the Government should strengthen the efforts for education and the publicity of correct information, and invite experts to alert parents, with scientific statistics and real-life cases, that children contracted of coronavirus could face dire consequences. Professor Lau Yu-lung, member of COVID-19 Expert Advisory Panel, referred the current situation in Hong Kong as a race against the epidemic, calling it urgent to boost the vaccine uptake among children aged 6 months to 11 years. Moreover, many experts have restated that both vaccines, CoronaVac or Comirnaty, are highly effective in reducing severe diseases. In a serious epidemic, the virus will not wait for the vaccine, nor should the parents.
Another important way to boost the vaccination rate is to increase incentives. The vaccination rate of people aged 12 to 59 years is nearly 100%, thanks to various external incentives. Full-day classes are only allowed in secondary schools with 90% of students are triple vaccinated, and parents and students proactively get vaccinated, hoping for no more class suspensions. The majority of adults have to go to work and participate in social activities, and people aged 12 and above are required to present their vaccination passes when entering and leaving specified premises, which incentivised those people to receive the vaccination. However, at present, kindergartens and primary schools maintain half-day face-to-face classes, which is not linked to the vaccination rate, and some of this cohort of people are exempted from the Vaccine Pass, both leading to the low young children vaccination rate.
The Government is studying to extend the applicable age of the Vaccine Pass to cover children aged 5 to 11, to reduce the harm caused by the epidemic to them. The Government should study the details and implement them as soon as possible. The Education Bureau should link full-day face-to-face classes in kindergartens and primary schools to the vaccination rate, so as to increase the incentive for that cohort of children to get vaccinated. On the extension and linking, the Government should promptly announce the details, including the implementation timeline, to allow parents enough time to bring their children for vaccination, thus providing more effective protection of young children.
◆ Kevin Cheung (CUSCS Lecturer)
