Chinese authorities will vaccinate more than 50 million people against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus before the Chinese New Year in early February to avoid an intensification of the pandemic. The South China Morning Post reports citing official sources.
Health workers and police officers will be vaccinated first. It is reported that the first dose of the vaccine will be finished by January 15, and the second by February 5.
This massive campaign is aimed at preventing an outbreak during the traditional holiday: the week after the Lunar New Year, also called the Spring Festival, it is customary for the Chinese to visit relatives. In 2003, during the outbreak of SARS, this tradition led to the spread of the infection throughout the country.
In February 2020, the Chinese authorities completely closed the city of Wuhan so that its residents could not leave for other parts of the PRC. In 2021, the holiday falls on February 12.