One billion Chinese fully vaccinated

More than 1 billion people have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in China, making the country a front-runner in global immunization efforts, health officials said on Thursday.

Mi Feng, a National Health Commission spokesman, told a news briefing that China had delivered more than 2.16 billion vaccine doses as of Wednesday, and over 1.01 billion people had been fully immunized.

Lei Zhenglong, an official at the commission's disease prevention and control bureau, said more than 170 million doses had been administered to people aged 12 to 17, covering nearly 95.3 million minors.

In addition, 390 million doses had been delivered to people aged 60 and above, covering 200 million elderly.

"China now has the highest number of doses given and the highest number of vaccinated people," he said. "In terms of the vaccination coverage rate among the total population, the country is also in a leading position globally."

Wang Huaqing, chief expert on immunization planning at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said the high vaccination level has laid a foundation for China to further curb the epidemic, but emerging variants have posed new threats.

"The enhanced transmissibility of the Delta variant, as well as the diminished protection in some vaccines, have brought about challenges toward building herd immunity," he said.

"We need to step up monitoring of the virus and the effects of vaccines, so as to upgrade our inoculation strategy and develop stronger vaccines."

Wang urged eligible elderly people and teenagers to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

"Meanwhile, it is time to consider expanding the mass vaccination campaign to those under 12 years old," he said.

With the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday starting on Sunday and the seven-day National Day holiday in early October, Hou Zhengang, an official from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's market management department, said group tours to or from provincial-level regions with areas at medium or high risk of the virus have been suspended.

He added that 80 percent of A-rated attractions will be open during the holidays, and they have been ordered to cap capacity at a reasonable range and set up online registration systems to facilitate the tracking of travelers' information.