China has now administered more than a billion doses of anti-Covid vaccines, the Ministry of Health announced on Sunday, without however specifying the percentage of the population having received a full vaccination.
This number of measured doses represents more than a third of the planetary total.
The world had passed the 2.5 billion mark on Friday, according to an AFP count made from official sources.
Proactive approach by the authorities
The Chinese did not initially rush to get vaccinated, as the virus has been virtually eradicated from the country for more than a year, thanks to mandatory quarantines, massive screenings or mobile travel control applications.
The lack of data initially available on Chinese vaccines and past scandals of adulterated doses in China had also chilled some people.
But the government and businesses then took a more proactive approach by strongly pushing residents and employees to get vaccinated, emphasizing national solidarity and their duty as citizens.
In Beijing, certain neighborhoods thus displayed the percentage of vaccinated in front of buildings, in order to put pressure on the recalcitrant.
Sometimes they also allow vouchers or eggs to encourage vaccinations.
The appearance in recent weeks of a few local cases in the densely populated province of Guangdong (south) also served as a reminder in the face of the risk of an epidemic resumption.
Objective: 70% of the population vaccinated
In total, 1.01 billion doses have already been administered, according to the Ministry of Health.
He also reported on Sunday 23 new patients in 24 hours.
However, all of them are people arriving from abroad, who are in any case automatically placed in quarantine, without contact with the rest of the population.
China hopes to vaccinate at least 70% of its population by the end of the year, or around one billion people.
Four vaccines, all Chinese, are currently authorized: that of the private laboratory Sinovac, two of the public giant Sinopharm and one of the pharmaceutical company CanSino Biologics.
The vaccine from the German company BioNTech could also receive a green light in the coming months, in particular thanks to an agreement with a local partner.
Only two deaths from Covid-19 have been recorded in 13 months in China.
Shops, restaurants and bars reopened in spring 2020 and public opinion is generally very satisfied with the government's management of the crisis.
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