Why has China had such a struggle vaccinating the elderly against Covid-19?
- 23.8 million people over the age of 60 have yet to receive their first jab
- Zero-Covid policy made vaccination seem less urgent for many people
He has had several operations to remove malignant bladder tumours since July last year and this summer, after finishing the first phase of chemotherapy, received conflicting advice about vaccination.
Two doctors from Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, who first detected his cancer, advised him to wait and prepare instead for a second round of chemotherapy three months later. But two other doctors, from his hometown in Hunan province, said his condition was stable enough for him to get jabbed.
“If I get the shot, I’m worried about the spread of cancer cells; but if I don’t, I’m worried that if I’m infected it will harm my family,” Xiao said.
Xiao is one of the 23.8 million people over the age of 60 in China who have yet to receive their first shot of Covid-19 vaccine as the country abandons harsh pandemic restrictions and braces for waves of infection.
11:33
Trace, test, lock down, repeat: Three years under China’s zero-Covid strategy
Over the past three years, many elderly people have been suspicious about the safety of vaccines, worried about their underlying diseases, and – largely shielded by the country’s former zero-Covid policy – unmotivated to get shots. With relatively low health literacy, some failed to get the support they needed to make such a decision from doctors, family and community workers or the government, many told the Post.