As of July 2022, it is estimated that about 89.7% of the country's population has received a vaccine, and about 56% of the population has received a booster dose.[2]
On 15 December 2020, the COVID-19 vaccination for people under high risk started in China.[4] On 19 December 2020, the National Health Commission (NHC) said that there has been 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered in China as of the day, and no serious adverse reactions were observed.[5]
On 31 December 2020, NHC announced that the Sinopharm BIBP vaccine has been approved through the conditional marketing authorization process, and more than 3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine has been administered in China.[6] At the same time, NHC declares that COVID-19 vaccination is free to Chinese citizens.[7]
On 27 January 2021, NHC said that the vaccination is being carried out in order, and there has been 22.767 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered in China as of 26 January.[8]
Since late March 2021, the authorities has accelerated the promotion of free COVID-19 vaccination for the whole population.[4] On 22 March 2021, Sun Chunlan, the Vice Premier of the State Council, stated that COVID-19 vaccination in China should be accelerated and the vaccination rate should be increased.[10] On 24 March 2021, NHC announced that the number doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered will be daily reported on its website and social media account since that day.[11] On 29 March 2021, NHC released the first version of the COVID-19 Vaccine Technology Guide.[12]
On 21 April 2021, NHC stated that more than 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine has been administered in China, and 80% of doctors and nurses has been vaccinated.[13]
On 14 May 2021, NHC restated that the COVID-19 administration progress should be accelerated due to the proportion of mutated SARS-CoV-2 and the re-appearance of local cases.[14]
On 19 June 2021, NHC announced that more than 1.01489 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine has been administered in China.[15]
While public authorities have mandated lockdowns and mandatory mass testing for areas with infection, there has not been any rule to making vaccination mandatory. Some facilities within China have made vaccination mandatory for entry, including things like movie theatres, fitness centres, internet bars, museums and libraries.[16]
In July 2022, according to official figures, while 89% had received 2 doses, only 56% of eligible people had received a booster dose. Furthermore, this was even lower among vulnerable elderly age groups, with only 19.7% of people over the age of 80 having received a booster dose. According to BBC reporting, this may have been attributed to public confidence in the ability of authorities to control outbreaks, the narrative presented by public authorities within China that the virus was mainly an overseas problem as well as some doctors within China who warned vulnerable people of the health risks of the vaccine.[16]
Doses of COVID-19 vaccine administrated in mainland China
As of 21 November 2022, seven vaccines have been approved in mainland China through conditional marketing authorization or emergency use authorization.
In 2021 Nature reported that "studies have questioned the length of protection" that domestic vaccines such as CoronaVac and Sinopharm offer, especially when compared to mRNA vaccines.[19] A 2022 meta-analysis found about 65% vaccine effectiveness against infection for CoronoVac, compared with about 90% for Pfizer and 98% for Moderna.[20] Some analysts have criticized China's reluctance to import mRNA vaccines.[21]
^ ab"中国新冠病毒"清零"政策对习近平造成危险". BBC News 中文 (in Simplified Chinese). 9 July 2022. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
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