The Hong Kong government will roll out a mass vaccination program as early as next month, after securing deals with several vaccine manufacturers including one in mainland China, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Friday.

The first to get vaccinated will include medical workers, elderly people and those suffering from chronic diseases, Lam said. One million doses are due to arrive in Hong Kong next month as part of a HK$8.4 billion (US$1.1 billion) COVID-19 vaccination project.

Lam said Hongkongers will not be allowed to choose which of the several different vaccines they will receive, because of logistical complications. Getting vaccinated will not necessarily mean city residents can travel abroad without quarantining, she noted.

The city hopes to secure 30 million doses.

The first batch of vaccines, made by Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech, could arrive in Hong Kong as early as January while up to 15 million doses, including 7.5 million jabs made by Pfizer/BioNTech, are set to arrive by the first quarter of next year.

The Hong Kong government has also reached a deal with AstraZeneca for a further 7.5 million doses to arrive in the second half of next year.

Local experts have raised concerns about how to safely import the vaccines, since some require storage at extremely low temperatures.

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