(Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong should make Covid-19 vaccines available for children under the age of three as soon as possible, as shots from BioNTech SE and Sinovac Biotech Ltd. safely and effectively protect them against the virus, a vaccination adviser to the government said.

Hong Kong’s Covid-19 expert advisory panel will discuss toddler vaccination next week, said Lau Yu-lung, who is the chairman of the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases. While the issue needs to be thoroughly discussed by the panel, he said he plans to do his best to convey his opinion.

“Hong Kong is still in a dangerous situation with kids under three not vaccinated,” Lau said during a press conference on Thursday. “I certainly personally am inclined to give parents a choice quickly.”

The issue gained additional attention and urgency after city health officials reported details about a 22-month-old who developed seizures after contracting the virus, and subsequently was airlifted to the hospital from an outlying island. She’s currently in critical condition and receiving intensive care. 

Hong Kong currently allows kids as young as three to get Sinovac shots, while those aged five and older can get the vaccine developed by BioNTech and its partner, Pfizer Inc. 

Earlier this week the city’s rival financial hub, Singapore, said it may allow vaccinations for those aged six months to four years by the end of this year after two children died in the past two months from Covid in the city-state. Other countries, including the US and Canada, allow immunizations for children six months and older. 

“To the public – omicron is not a minor flu. In most cases it’s not so severe, but in some cases it can be very severe,” Lau said. “The only way to reduce this complication is vaccination.” 

About 61% of children between the ages of three and 11 in Hong Kong have received two doses of vaccine. Lau encouraged parents to immunize their kids as soon as possible. 

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