China targets 40% vaccination rate by end-June, Zhong Nanshan says

The Chinese government strives to have 40% of its population vaccinated by the end of June, said Zhong Nanshan, China’s top coronavirus expert who helped formulate measures against the pandemic on March 1.
In an online forum hosted by Tsinghua University and the Washington-based Brookings Institution, Zhong stated that the current ratio of vaccine doses given in China is only 3.56 per 100 people.
Nonetheless, China’s vaccination rate of 3.56% was a stark contrast when compared to 92.46%, 60%, 30% and 22% in Israel, the UAE, the UK and the US, respectively, he pointed out.
With some disappointment, Zhong expects that global herd immunity will not be achieved in the nearer term, but will more likely be achieved in the coming two to three years, or perhaps longer.
The new Covid-19 variants emerging from some places will reduce the efficacy of the current vaccines, he said.
As a result, Zhong calls for continuous collaboration between China and the US to research and develop better vaccines and treatments against the pandemic.
There are around 60 various vaccination programs underway in China, with six of them already in the phase three clinical stage.
Earlier, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) stated that Macau’s vaccination scheme and China’s growing vaccination rate will help provide travelers with greater confidence to visit Macau as the border reopens for travel.