Chinese experts have called on the international community to enhance information sharing on vaccine-related studies amid rising safety concerns as three sites in the US halted emergency use of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) s adenovirus vaccine after a number of adverse reaction cases including blood clot were reported following the jabs.
CHINA / SOCIETY
By GT staff reporters Published: Apr 09, 2021 10:38 PM
People line up to get vaccinated in front of a mobile vaccination vehicle in Beijing on Friday. Setting up COVID-19 vaccination sites in areas with heavy traffic will help improve the efficiency of vaccination and also spread vaccination information. Photo: cnsphoto
Through measures like prolonging injection intervals and prioritizing high-risk areas and groups, China is making efforts to maintain a balance in COVID-19 vaccine supply and demand while some places in China are reportedly facing a temporary COVID-19 vaccine shortage during the country s accelerating vaccination drive, which is aimed at guaranteeing the reported goal of the country to vaccinate about 560 million people by the end of June, Chinese experts said.
CHINA / SOCIETY
By Wan Lin Published: Apr 07, 2021 08:13 PM
Photo taken on March 12, 2021 shows AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines at a hospital in Caceres province in Spain. Photo:Xinhua
Chinese vaccine experts said that the inoculation drive in Europe and the global distribution of vaccines will not be greatly affected at the moment, despite concerns over a possible link between AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots, as more investigation is needed to determine if the rare events resulted from inherent problems with the vaccine.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) denied that it had already established a causal connection between the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and a rare blood clotting syndrome, after Marco Cavaleri, the EMA s head of vaccines, told the media there was a link, the Guardian reported on Tuesday.
Vaccine passport: WHO is reluctant but there’s hope China can be a pathfinder
Liu Caiyu Published: Apr 07, 2021 09:35 PM
Passengers scan health code at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport after landing in October. Photo: cnsphoto
China and its partners that are promoting regional health code recognition can be pathfinders for a global vaccine passport program in the future, Chinese experts said, adding that although WHO had reservations over vaccine passports, China s efforts do not conflict with WHO s stance.
China s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday that China and South Korea will coordinate and establish a mechanism for the mutual recognition of their health codes, in a move that would help further normalize bilateral business and tourism activities.