[ad_1]
BEIJING: China had administered 74.96 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of Saturday (March 20), health commission spokesman Mi Feng said at a news conference on Sunday.
That compared to around 65 million doses administered through March 14, or 10 million additional vaccines in less in a week, as the country accelerates its inoculation campaign with the goal of inoculating 40 percent of its 1,400 million inhabitants in the middle of the 20th century. year.
So far, more than 70 million doses of the Sinovac Biotech injection have been administered worldwide, a company spokesperson said during Sunday’s press conference. He did not say how many of them had been administered in China.
READ: China will issue visas to foreigners who have received the COVID-19 jab made in China
COMMENT: Chinese vaccine diplomacy in Southeast Asia generates goodwill, but has limited strategic gains
Beijing is also considering implementing differentiated policies for the issuance of visas, flights, and controls on the number of people arriving in China based on the progress of vaccination and COVID-19 situations in the countries of origin.
“We are not exempting vaccinated people from testing and isolation measures at the moment,” said Feng Zijian, deputy director of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention during the press conference.
However, he said China will pay attention to international progress in developing “vaccine passports” and may adjust measures to curb the virus after the national population reaches a high level of immunization.
Year-round vaccine production in China can fully meet the needs of the entire country, said Mao Junfeng, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology official.
READ: Will Air Bubbles Peel Off or Pop? Don’t pack your bags yet, experts say
READ: China approves a fourth COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use
He said the supply of materials for vaccine production, including glass vials and syringes, is “relatively stable.”
China has approved four locally developed vaccines for general public use from Sinovac, CanSino Biologics and two units of the China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm).
A fifth vaccine developed by the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMCAS) was also approved for emergency use last week.
CHECK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
