By: Clarice WuEdited by: TUNG Yi Wun

The United Kingdom Government announced that they would be recognizing the World Health Organization’s list of emergency-use COVID-19 vaccines, including China’s SinoVac and Sinopharm, starting from today (22 November).  Apart from the two newly added vaccines, others such as Pifzer (also named BioNtech), Covishield,  AstraZeneca, Moderna, Johnson, and Covaxin are all on the list. Individuals who are vaccinated with the above vaccines will be allowed to visit the United Kingdom (UK) without a proof of negative results from COVID-19 testing, and are free from quarantine after arrival. Only one screening test is required after the day they arrive.  According to the UK Health Security Agency (HSA), 40,941 infections and 150 deaths were recorded on 20 November. The data released last week also shows the infections among school pupils aged between 10-19 increased from 571.7 cases per 100,000 students on 7 November to 694.2 cases to 14 November.  England also announced simplification on immigration procedures in early November. Individuals who are under 18 will be considered as fully vaccinated, they would not be subjected to mandatory pre-departure screening and quarantine upon their visits to the UK, but only one post-arrival test. Regarding the relaxation of travel restrictions, the UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps stated that, “as we continue to recover from the pandemic and expand our recognition of international vaccines, today's announcements mark the next step in our restart of international travel.” Wong Lok-sze, a year 3 student studying in the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who is going to the UK for an exchange next month, said  “it is actually more convenient for me because I don't have to quarantine either.” “But I would also be worried about other people who do not need to be quarantined, and I would prefer to have a quarantine policy,” she added.  Wong is …

A man whose face was partially paralized after receiving the second BioNTech vaccine on August 31 was denied compensation because his case was not reported to the Department of Health, he said in a press conference. The man, who goes by the alias Mr Y, was rushed to the Princess Margaret Hospital on Sept 2. and was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy. He applied to insurance company AXA Hong Kong on Sept 9 under the government’s compensation plan for those adversely affected by the vaccine. But his application was denied since the hospital did not report his case to the Department of Health. The man said the hospital told him it will report his case after approval, but it has not been done yet. Democratic Party health policy spokesperson, Ramon Yuen Hoi-man, worried that the number of adverse post-vaccination cases is understated. “Does it mean that there are many cases like Mr Y that have not been reported?” Yuen said. “It’s impossible for the public to verify that, while the number of residual vaccine symptoms is very likely to be underestimated.” Yuen said the Department of Health should actively encourage medical staff to report serious cases involving vaccines and provide the public access to reports. "When encouraging citizens to vaccinate, the authorities should also protect people’s personal rights, like the right to know and the right to make decisions," Yuen said Health authorities in Hong Kong have confirmed 288 cases of Bell’s palsy after vaccination. Most patients will recover from facial paralysis even without treatment. As of end September, the Department of Health received a total of 6,108 reports of serious adverse events of Covid vaccine in people aged from 12 to 87. A total of HK$5.19 million has been given out with an average of HK$113,000 for each approved case.