China has administered 65 million COVID-19 vaccine doses at home

BEIJING: A Chinese official says the country has administered almost 65 million doses of coronavirus vaccine to its citizens amid plans to immunise up to 80% of its entire population of 1.4 billion.

Teams have been dispatched nationwide to oversee vaccinations and are working with targeted groups according to a schedule, Vice Chairman of the National Health Commission Li Bin told reporters at a news conference on Monday.

China has been slower in its vaccination campaign than many other countries, including the US while committing roughly 10 times more doses abroad than it has distributed at home.

The lack of urgency is partly due to the near elimination of locally spread cases.

With four approved vaccines, China plans to vaccinate 900 million to 1 billion people by the summer of 2022, seeking to establish herd immunity to stop the uncontrolled spread of an infectious disease like COVID-19.

China announced on Friday that it would waive a COVID-19 test and health form requirement for foreigners applying for visas to the mainland from Hong Kong if they have been vaccinated with a Chinese-made vaccine.

Also last week, the Foreign Ministry launched an international travel health certificate that includes a COVID-19 test and serum antibody results, as well as vaccination and other health information.

It is unclear how it will be implemented.