Coronavirus: China hits goal of vaccinating 40 per cent of population before end of June
- More than 1.12 billion doses have been administered and 630 million people inoculated
- For now, with variants circulating, social distancing, mask mandates and closed borders are still considered crucial to preventing major outbreaks
China announced that it has achieved a key milestone, with 630 million people inoculated against Covid-19 by Thursday, as the country reached its target of vaccinating 40 per cent of the population by the end of June.
The country administered 24.7 million vaccine doses on Thursday alone, a record since the inoculation drive began in late March, bringing the total number to more than 1.12 billion.
Daily vaccinations accelerated from slightly over 2 million doses in late March to an average of more than 18 million in June as manufacturers scaled up production and local Covid-19 outbreaks startled residents into getting the shots.
“Over 40 per cent of the total population has been vaccinated. This is an important step towards establishing herd immunity,” according to a statement carried by state broadcaster China Central Television on Friday.
02:35
Inside a plant in China producing the WHO-approved Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine
The next target is the vaccination of 70 per cent of China’s 1.4 billion people by the end of the year, but that will not automatically translate into so-called herd immunity – a state that can limit the spread of the virus, or lifting any restrictions, experts said.