Over 206 mln Chinese aged 60 and older complete COVID-19 vaccination

Special: Battle Against Novel Coronavirus

Over 215 million Chinese people aged 60 and above have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines. Out of that number, 206 million have completed their vaccination against the virus, a health official said Tuesday.

Voluntary vaccination among the elderly has been progressing steadily across the country, said Cui Gang, an official with the National Health Commission (NHC), at a press conference.

According to the data released by the National Bureau of Statistics last May, the population of Chinese people on the mainland aged 60 and above reached 264.02 million.

Another NHC official Zheng Zhongwei pointed out that the COVID-19 vaccination rates among people aged above 70 and 80 remained low in some regions. Zheng said more work should be done to expedite vaccination for those in these age groups.

Given the fact that the elderly are more likely to suffer from an underlying disease or have a weak immune system, their vaccination push emphasizes safety, Cui said.

Inquiries into the health conditions of recipients and contraindication checks are required, and recipients must be well informed about their vaccine, its function and side effects prior to inoculation, Cui said.

Chinese vaccines have shown a good safety level among the elderly, Zheng said. To date, the oldest COVID-19 vaccine recipient in China is 106 years old, he said.

Over 500 million doses of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to people aged above 60 in and outside of China, Zheng said.