The Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) has launched a COVID-19 vaccination programme, providing free-of-charge vaccines to Macao inhabitants.

Administration of vaccines against COVID-19 to the general public is available at 12 venues across Macao, including two posts at the Conde S. Januário Hospital, and 10 health centres and health stations under the city’s Health Bureau.

In order to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in Macao, members of the public have to schedule an appointment. Via an online system, they can choose the location and time for vaccination, as well as the preferred type of vaccine among the three available in Macao. Members of the public should arrive on time at the chosen location.

Currently, the city’s 12 vaccination posts can vaccinate up to 5,000 people a day.

Vaccination procedures take about 15 minutes. Before inoculation, members of the public must undergo a medical assessment, and complete and submit a consent form.

Each of the three types of COVID-19 vaccine available in Macao is administered in two doses, in order for people to develop immunity against the infection. A second shot will be given four weeks after the first one.

After inoculation, vaccine recipients should remain for at least 30 minutes at the vaccination post, for monitoring for any adverse reaction.

After inoculation, vaccine recipients should remain for at least 30 minutes at the vaccination post, for monitoring for any adverse reaction.

Macao has sourced in total three types of COVID-19 vaccine. The inactivated vaccine produced by Sinopharm has been delivered to Macao on 6 February 2021 and is currently available for use. The mRNA-based vaccine by BioNTech is expected to arrive in Macao in late February or early March 2021; and the replication-defective adenovirus vector vaccine developed by AstraZeneca is expected to arrive in Macao in the third quarter of 2021.

Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 helps in reducing risk of infecting others; and in reducing risk of morbidity, serious complications, or even death. It is also conducive to Macao developing ‘herd immunity’ against the disease. Protect yourself and your family, get vaccinated against COVID-19!