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People receive Covid-19 vaccines at a temporary vaccination center in Beijing on January 8.
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China has administered More than 9 million doses of coronavirus vaccines as the country prepares for a possible increase in infections during the winter.
Some 7.5 million doses have been administered since December 15, authorities said at a briefing in Beijing. The vaccines are free for all citizens and the costs will be covered by the Medicare fund and fiscal budgets, they said.
China sees an increased risk of the virus spreading in winter as people travel and gather for the holidays, deputy director of the National Health Commission Zeng Yixin told reporters.
The vaccination rollout is first targeting high-risk population groups because production capacity cannot keep up, Zeng said. Capacity is steadily increasing now and will allow dosing to the general public, he said, without giving a timetable.
China is “active, open and supports” a visit to Wuhan by the World Health Organization to investigate the origins of the virus, Zeng said. China has lined up its own experts to work with the WHO experts in Wuhan. The timing of the WHO team’s arrival in China is still being confirmed, he said.
– With the help of John Liu and Dingmin Zhang
(Add comments on vaccine costs, WHO in second and last paragraph)
