Vaccination rate for children aged 3 to 11 improves to 56pct

More than 36,000 children aged 3 to 11 have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in the Macau SAR so far, with the vaccination rate for this age group exceeding 56 per cent, the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) revealed.

The vaccination rate of students over the age of 12 has exceeded 76 per cent, with 63 per cent of these students have completed the second dose of vaccination.

DSEDJ stated that the second round of school vaccination appointments is being carried out, and 51 school departments have been coordinated to complete vaccination appointments.

The campaign has so far pushed more than 33,000 schoolchildren to receive at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with the department will successively carry out outreach initiatives in schools or by organizing community vaccination stations.

A special “School Child Vaccination Day” will also be held at the Macao Forum between April 9 and 10.

According to the most recent update, a total of 585,472, people in Macau have been vaccinated with at least a Covid-19 vaccine, some 85 per cent, but only 331,158 received the required two doses, while 186,066 already had their third booster shot.

The vaccination rate for children aged between 3 and 11 years and the elderly residents over 70 years also remains the lowest in the SAR.

In order to improve it, local authorities have advanced with new initiatives such as mobile vaccination centers and house outreach teams to transport elderly residents to be inoculated for Covid-19.

A mobile vaccination vehicle will remain in the area near Jardim de Iao Hon, from 9:30am to 5:30pm between April 10 and 11, in order to provide vaccination services to citizens who live nearby, including those with reduced mobility, permanently bedridden and the elderly.