China to supply COVID-19 vaccines free of charge – official

BEIJING (Reuters) – China will supply COVID-19 vaccines free of charge as soon as they are available to the general public, government officials said on Saturday.

National Health Commission official Zheng Zhongwei said that while manufacturing and shipping vaccines comes at a cost, the government can provide vaccines to individuals free of charge.

“Our people don’t have to pay a single cent for the vaccine,” said Zheng at a press event in Beijing.

China approved in late December its first vaccine for general public use. Three vaccines had previously been administered to limited groups at high risk of infection, including healthcare professionals, through an emergency use program.

The country extended the vaccination scheme in mid-December to more important groups, such as employees in the food and public transport sectors, in an effort to stem the resurgence in winter and spring.

These vaccines are also free for individuals, said Zeng Yixin, an official with the National Health Commission.

“We found that some local governments charged individual fees, we … demand immediate rectification,” said Zeng at the briefing, adding that local governments have properly implemented the free vaccination policy.

China administered more than 9 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, said Zeng. Of that total, more than 7 million have been administered since mid-December.

Nearly 140,000 people in Hebei province took doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, said Cui Gang, an official with the National Health Commission, part of China’s vaccination scheme that targets specific groups at high risk of infection.

The provincial capital, Shijiazhuang, has emerged as a new focus of transmission. Local authorities have suspended public transport across the city in an effort to stem the spread of the virus.

“At the moment, Hebei province must accelerate progress as quickly as possible and complete vaccination of key groups as quickly as possible,” said Cui.