Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip today visited a residential care home for the elderly (RCHE) in To Kwa Wan to view the administering of a COVID-19 vaccine to the residents by visiting medical officers, urging residents to get vaccinated.

More than 100 residents have been vaccinated at the RCHE yesterday and today.

It is one of the first batch participants of a vaccination scheme in which the Government took the initiative to arrange for unvaccinated residents to have health assessments by doctors.

Upon confirmation that residents are suitable for receiving the Sinovac vaccine and that their family members do not clearly oppose vaccination, visiting medical officers will administer the vaccine to the residents with the informed consent of them or their legal guardians.

Mr Nip appealed to residents of RCHEs and nursing homes to get vaccinated as early as possible for self-protection, adding that their family members should also understand the serious threat posed to unvaccinated residents' health if there is an epidemic outbreak.

He said: "More than 6.88 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered worldwide.

"Residents and their family members should learn about the importance and the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination in an objective manner."

The civil service chief also cited the analysis of COVID-19 confirmed cases in Hong Kong, in which the mortality rate was up to 28% among the 137 cases involving residents of RCHEs.

"Getting vaccinated is the best method to safeguard our own health. Residents of RCHEs as well as their family members should be in support of receiving COVID-19 vaccination," he noted.