Pointing to factors such as cost and potential side effects, he added that the question of public vaccination was to balance the “risks and benefits”. Gao said mass vaccination is not needed at this stage at the moment – although it could change if another serious disease spreads.
The policy marks China apart from many Western governments, particularly Australia, which outlines plans to introduce a vaccination drive to the public.
The number of viruses reported in China has been low since the spring. There have been a few outbursts – groups in the northeastern Jilin province in May, erupted in Beijing in June, and in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, in July – but these were met with immediate lockdown measures and mass testing. And outbreaks were contained within a few weeks.
Gao cited this brief outbreak as evidence of China’s effective control measures. “The facts prove that we have many magical weapons to respond to the epidemic,” he said, according to the China News Service.
Any potential vaccine would be a priority for people on the front lines, he added: medical workers, Chinese nationals working abroad in virus hostspots and people working in gad, high-risk environments such as rest restaurants rent, schools or cleaning services.
CNN has contacted the NHC for further comment.
Global race for vaccines
China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of vaccines, and can supply 1 billion doses annually from 40 manufacturers across the country, according to a report by the China Human Vaccine Industry.
Globally currently 9 of the more than 30 vaccines in human trials are from China – the most from any country. And four of the nine candidates for the vaccine in the late-phase trial are being made by Chinese companies.
Other countries can also claim; The Indian health minister said on Sunday that the government was considering giving emergency approval to Kovid-19 vaccine candidates before the completion of the Phase 3 test.
Experts have previously said that vaccination is key to countries like China, where the percentage of infected people in the population is relatively low due to strict control measures.
But Gao warned on Saturday that vaccine development is still in progress, with risks of weaker side effects.
“Never before has there been a Covid-1 vaccine, which makes this case the first in science. It is possible that it will affect the effects of ADE (antibody-based shelter) to some extent that we will probably face.” That said, according to the Global Times.
ADE is when specific antibodies help the virus to enter and replicate into cells – basically, when a treatment makes the disease worse.
He added, “Scientific research is a very rigorous process, we need to give scientists a little more time.”
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