China Intensifies Vaccination of the Elderly Against COVID-19

China has announced that it will accelerate the vaccination of its citizens aged 60 and over against the COVID-19 virus, amid a record surge in infection numbers in recent days. The Chinese Ministry of Health has pledged to increase vaccination rates for individuals over the age of 80, as well as to continue vaccinating those aged 60 to 79. Recently, China has been following a "zero COVID" policy that involves isolating infected citizens, due to the reluctance of its citizens, particularly the elderly, to receive the vaccine, leading to an unprecedented spread of the virus this year. Sources within the health ministry in Beijing reported that 65.8% of individuals over 80 years old have received all doses of the vaccine, noting that China has yet to approve the use of mRNA-based vaccines.