HONG KONG - The Secretary for Food and Health (SFH) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government has approved extending the age eligibility of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine to cover those aged three to 17, according to a statement by the HKSAR government Saturday.

The SFH also agreed adolescents aged 12 to 17 will be accorded priority to receive the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, with a view to extending to children of a younger age group at a later stage, having considered the recommendations made by the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases under the Center for Health Protection of the Department of Health (JSC) together with the Chief Executive's expert advisory panel (EAP).

The JSC-EAP convened a meeting Friday to examine the information regarding lowering the age limit for receiving the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, in order to determine the priority groups for receiving the relevant vaccine.

With reference to the advice of the Advisory Panel on COVID-19 Vaccines and having considered the threat to public health posed by COVID-19, the SFH considered that the benefits of approving the extension of the age eligibility of the Sinovac vaccine to cover those aged three to 17 outweigh the risks.

Doing so can protect them from COVID-19 infection and also enable them to resume normal school and daily life as soon as possible, the SFH added.