concern for the elderly
China, which has said about 90% of its population has been vaccinated, announced on Wednesday that it would introduce a second COVID-19 vaccine booster shot for high-risk groups and the elderly over the age of 60.
Mi Feng, spokesman for the National Health Commission, said on Wednesday that according to comments made by state media, it was necessary to accelerate the promotion of vaccination.
The latest official figures show China on Tuesday handed out 1.43 million COVID shots, up from a rate of about 100,000 – 200,000 doses a day in November. In total, it has given 3.45 billion shots.
But citing low elderly vaccination rates, a Shanghai care home said on Wednesday it was barring visitors and non-essential deliveries, as well as medicines, test kits and protective gear.
“We are considering how to ensure the safety of your grandparents,” the Yuepu Tianyi Nursing Home wrote in a letter posted on its official WeChat account page.
Beijing has been largely resistant to Western vaccines and treatments, relying on locally manufactured shots.
Pfizer’s PFE.N oral COVID-19 treatment paxlovid is one of the few foreign treatments it has approved.
Although the treatment is only available in hospitals for high-risk patients, there have been signs in recent days that it may soon become more widely available. Shares of China Meheco Group Co Ltd jumped 600056.SS on Wednesday after the US drugmaker announced a deal to import the treatment.