Hong Kong is not politicizing any vaccine, says health chief

FILE PHOTO: A worker performs a quality check in the packaging facility of Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech, developing an experimental new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine, during a government-organized media tour in Beijing, China, September 24, 2020. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo

HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s Health Secretary said Friday that the government had not politicized any coronavirus vaccine, as she sought to reassure residents worried about China’s Sinovac, due for roll out in the global financial hub from next week.

Hong Kong Health Secretary Sophia Chan told Reuters that standards had not been lowered to accept the Sinovac vaccine and there was no pressure from Beijing to get it approved in the Chinese special administrative region.

“The government has not politicized any vaccine. In fact, we really think that one should not politicize any of the vaccination [processes] because really the Covid-19 vaccine is our hope,” she said in an interview at her office in government headquarters.