A medical worker administers a dose of a COVID-19 to a high school student at a vaccination site in Xicheng district of Beijing, capital of China, July 21, 2021. (REN CHAO / XINHUA)
BEIJING – More than 1.5 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered across the Chinese mainland as of Thursday, the National Health Commission announced on Friday.
The mainland accelerated its pace of free COVID-19 vaccinations in late March. By June 19, the mainland had administered in excess of 1 billion doses, and by July 13, the number surpassed 1.4 billion.
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By July 8, a total of 22 COVID-19 vaccines have entered clinical trials on the mainland. Four vaccines have been granted conditional marketing approval and three have been authorized for emergency use.
The mainland's mass vaccination campaign currently mainly targets adults aged over 18. By mid-July, a number of provinces, regions and municipalities have announced they will phase in COVID-19 vaccination for minors aged between 12 and 17.
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