Expatriates in Shanghai can register for Covid-19 vaccinations from March 29. They need to scan the “Jiankangyun” QR code, the Shanghai Health Commission announced. In Beijing, foreigners can apply through their employers, schools or residential communities. Shanghai and Beijing became the second and third city in China to offer vaccinations to foreign residents older than 18, following Wuhan, where expat residents aged between18 and 59 have been able to apply for inoculations starting this month. Meanwhile, China has already administered more than 100 million vaccine doses. The current vaccination rate in China is 5.76%, ranking 57^th in the world. 

In Shanghai, after scanning the QR code, expats will receive a confirmation on their phone, and can then visit the designated venue for the shot at the allotted time. They must wear masks, and show their passports and valid residence permits. They will have to sign a consent form  and disclaimer before taking the vaccination. A doctor at the site will decide if they are fit for the vaccine after determining their health condition. A China-made inactivated vaccine will be used. Expats who have Chinese social insurance will get the shots for free while others have to pay around CNY100 per dose. The shots have to be taken twice with an interval of at least 14 days. Shanghai has also started vaccinating residents aged from 60 to 75.

Beijing’s Daxing district, with a population of about 1.8 million, started handing out coupons worth CNY8 to CNY30 to people having been vaccinated. The coupons can be used in supermarkets in the district. The measure is aimed at promoting vaccinations. The total amount of coupons will reach CNY200 million. Vaccinating in China has been slower than expected due to a lack of urgency among a public confident in the early success in curbing the virus, but China is now ramping up its vaccination campaign. China aims to vaccinate 40% of its population by the end of June. China’s daily output of Covid-19 vaccines has reached about 5 million doses, more than tripling the 1.5 million-dose daily production rate on February 1, according to Minister of Industry and Information Technology Xiao Yaqing. China’s mass vaccination campaign has entered the fast track with its daily inoculations leaping from 1 million to nearly 3 million within a week. It will ultimately reach 10 million a week.

Sinovac Biotech plans to expand its vaccine capacity to 2 billion doses per year, while Sinopharm could expand its  production to 1 billion doses, and CanSino Biologics to 2 billion to 2.5 billion doses this year. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) is actively coordinating efforts to expand production and ensure the supply of syringes and glass vials. As part of efforts to accelerate vaccination across the country, China is set to expand the number of vaccination venues from 20,000 to 50,000. 

This overview is based on reporting by the China Daily, Shanghai Daily and Global Times.