BEIJING (Reuters) – China administered about 22.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, a health official said on Wednesday, as the country stepped up its campaign ahead of next month’s Lunar New Year holiday and the consequent flood of travel.
The most populous nation in the world has expanded its targeted inoculation scheme since mid-December to include more priority groups facing the greatest risk of exposure to the virus, in an attempt to prevent any outbreak in winter and spring.
“Overall, the work is progressing in a smooth and orderly manner,” said Zeng Yixin, deputy director of the National Health Commission, at a news conference, referring to the vaccination effort.
China plans to vaccinate 50 million people before the Lunar New Year in February, state media Global Times reported this month.
The vaccine scheme across the country now prioritizes essential groups, such as medical, transportation and food service workers, employees and students who go abroad. The elderly and others will have to wait.
However, the Chaoyang district in the capital, Beijing, has already started giving vaccines to citizens outside essential groups.
Some communities in Dongcheng district said residents aged 18 to 59 can apply for vaccination, provided they do not have medical conditions that could make vaccination inappropriate. But they did not say when the doses would be available.
(Reporting by Roxanne Liu and Ryan Woo; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)