China to roll out second COVID vaccine booster for high-risk groups, elderly

FILE PHOTO: A medical worker administers a dose of the vaccine against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to an elderly person at a community health service centre in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, China December 12, 2022. China Daily via REUTERS/File Photo

China's National Health Commission (NHC) will roll out the second COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for high-risk groups and elderly people over 60 years old, it said in a statement on Wednesday.

The time gap between the first and second booster shots will be six months, NHC said, adding people who can take the second booster shot will include those with severe existing diseases and those with low immunity.

Right before drastically easing its stringent COVID-19 prevention measures earlier this month, China has pushed to speed up vaccinations for those aged above 60 years.

A bus conductor wearing a face mask stands at a bus station, as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks continue in Shanghai, China, December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Aly Song

People aged 60 and above who have received two doses inched up from 85.6% in August to 86.4% in November, while the booster rate rose from 67.8% to 68.2% over the same period, according to official data.

It shortened the time gap between basic vaccination and booster shots to three months for the elderly late last month.

(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Writing by Liz Lee and Albee Zhang; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

FILE PHOTO: An elderly woman waits to cross a street, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Beijing, China May 25, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins