People display their cards after getting the coronavirus vaccine on the outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal, on Sunday. Nepal will administer the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from April 20 to April 28 to those who have received the first shot of the vaccine from January 27 to February 12. The first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine was given to health professionals, security personnel, officials of diplomatic missions, embassies, and those working in the United Nations. Photo: AFP
China has been paying close attention to policies and measures taken by various countries after vaccination, and is studying the policy of international travel for inoculated groups, Li Bin, a deputy head of China's National Health Commission, said on Monday.
"We are actively studying a policy on vaccine passports, which is currently undergoing adjustments and improvements. We will publicize detailed rules once the policy has been approved by the relevant epidemic prevention and control departments," said Li during a press briefing on COVID-19 vaccines on Monday.
"By taking such measures, we aim to further promote COVID-19 inoculation and boost international people-to-people exchanges," Li added.
As of Sunday, 64.98 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in China in an orderly manner.
The production of four COVID-19 vaccines developed by Chinese companies can meet the combined demand of domestic inoculation, foreign aid and exports, said an official from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
No major effect caused by virus mutations has been observed in the four vaccines currently approved by market regulators, added Wang Junzhi, an academician and a member of the national vaccine R&D specialist group, at the meeting.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 8 once again expressed practical and ethical concerns over using vaccination passports as a certificate for international travel, while China on the same day launched its version of a health code for people traveling abroad.
Global Times