Hong Kong on Wednesday reported that two students who returned from the United Kingdom have been infected with the new coronavirus strain, as officials announced that they have secured another 7.5 million doses of vaccines for the city.

Two boys aged 14 and 17 tested positive shortly after they returned to Hong Kong on Dec. 7 and 13, respectively, Dr. Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said on Wednesday.

The 14-year-old is still hospitalized while the 17-year-old was discharged after being treated at the makeshift medical facilities at AsiaWorld-Expo near the airport.

Tests showed that the DNA of virus samples taken from the duo matched that of the new mutated coronavirus variant that has been affecting the U.K., Chuang said.

Hong Kong on Wednesday reported 47 local COVID-19 infections and six imported cases.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Wednesday that her government had secured 7.5 million doses of COVID vaccines jointly developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca.

This would add to the 15 million doses earlier secured by the city from two mainland Chinese firms, Sinovac and Fosun, making a total of 22.5 million doses, Lam said.

Earlier, Lam said the city’s first batch of vaccines would be from the mainland and could arrive in Hong Kong by next month at the earliest. Some Hongkongers, however, remain unsure about the quality and safety of the mainland vaccines.

A health expert on Wednesday said the actual protection rates offered by early versions of vaccines were usually about 60% of their proclaimed effectiveness.

First-generation vaccines can only be assessed by their effectiveness in protecting receivers from developing symptoms after infections and not in protecting against actual infections, said Gabriel Leung, dean of the University of Hong Kong’s school of medicine and a government health consultant.

Lam said the Hong Kong government will set up a protection fund for people who develop adverse effects after their vaccinations.

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