According to Chinese health authorities and the country’s top medical official, the country does not plan on vaccinating its entire population against COVID-19 at this time. When a vaccine has been fully developed and approved for use, China will administer it to its frontline and at-risk populations rather than the entire country. This move highlights the country’s confidence that they will be able to continue to contain the virus.
Other countries such as Australia have pledged to administer free COVID-19 vaccines to its entire population. According to Gao Fu, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), China has survived the impact of COVID-19 several times since the first documented case in Wuhan. Gao pointed out risk factors such as cost and potential side effects as reasons to solely give the vaccine to healthcare workers. Gao stated that this decision could change in the event of another serious outbreak.
