China says COVID shots will be free in country

COVID vaccine shots will be free in China, where more than 9 million doses have been given to date, health officials in Beijing said on Saturday. The costs will be covered by a national medical insurance fund and government funds.

Beijing:China will provide free COVID-19 vaccines to its people, a senior health official said on Saturday.

Zeng Yixing, Vice Director of China's National Health Commission, told a news conference that nearly 9 million people have been given COVID-19 vaccines in China since December 15 and it has been proved that Chinese vaccines are safe.

"We will comprehensively and in an orderly manner carry out the vaccination of high-risk population and the general population, and implement free vaccinations for all," Zeng said, without giving a timetable for the vaccine program, but saying it will depend on the promotion of the production capacities of the vaccine companies.

Li Tao, Vice Director of National Heath Care Security Administration, told reporters that the costs of public vaccination will be jointly borne by the government-led national medical insurance fund and government finance.

"The residents will not bear any cost," Li said.

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Zeng also announced the result of research conducted by two Chinese institutions showing that the antibodies produced by China's vaccines in humans and monkeys can protect against the new variant of the virus that originated in the UK.

He said the government would encourage people to stay where they live during the Chinese New Year in February, the nation's busiest travel season where tens of millions of people return to their home provinces for the holiday

"This winter and next spring, the situation of epidemic prevention and control is still grim and complex, and the task is arduous," he said.

Meanwhile, authorities have asked residents in two cities south of Beijing to stay home for seven days as they try to stamp out a COVID-19 outbreak in which more than 300 people have tested positive in the past week.

The cities of Shijiazhuang and Xingtai in Hebei province are restricting people to their communities and villages and have banned gatherings, according to notices they posted on social media.

Zeng also told reporters that a consensus has been reached between the World Health Organization and the National Health Commission for a visit by international experts looking into the origins of COVID-19.

"We hold a positive, open and supportive attitude towards the WHO's investigation on the virus' origin," Zeng said.

"We hope, through the investigation of the experts' group of WHO, new information will be found which will help us with furthering understanding of the origin of the virus."

He said a time for the WHO team to visit Wuhan was being confirmed.

AP

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