China’s Covid-19 vaccines are safe and have been given to leaders of the state and ruling Communist Party, officials said on Saturday, as Beijing steps up efforts to allay public concerns about safety that risk hampering its vaccination drive.
“China’s state and Party leaders have all been vaccinated against Covid-19 with domestically-made shots,” said Zeng Yixin, deputy head of the National Health Commission.
In China, “state and Party leaders” is a specific category of top officials at the national and deputy national level that would include President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.
Zeng’s comment, which did not specify when officials received the jab and how many doses they have received, came about two years after the country launched its Covid vaccination drive. China lags behind many other countries in informing its public about the vaccination status of their leaders.
