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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Li Bin, deputy director of the National Health Commission (NHC)

Tian Yulong, member of the Leading Party Members Group of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and MIIT chief engineer

Chang Jile, director of the Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control of the NHC

Yuan Lin, director general of the Department of Drug Regulation of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA)

Wang Junzhi, deputy head of an expert task force on vaccine development and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering

Wang Huaqing, chief expert of the National Immunization Program of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Chairperson:

Shou Xiaoli, deputy head of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and SCIO spokesperson

Date:

March 15, 2021

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Shou Xiaoli:

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the State Council's interagency task force press conference. Currently, China has been promoting COVID-19 vaccination in an orderly manner, and people are very concerned about the progress. To help people better understand the situation, today we have invited Li Bin, deputy director of the National Health Commission (NHC) to brief you on promoting COVID-19 vaccination and answer questions of interest. We also have with us Tian Yulong, member of the Leading Party Members Group of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and MIIT chief engineer; Chang Jile, director of the Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control of the NHC; Yuan Lin, director general of the Department of Drug Regulation of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA); Wang Junzhi, deputy head of an expert task force on vaccine development and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; and Wang Huaqing, chief expert of the National Immunization Program of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Next, I will give the floor to Mr. Li.

Li Bin:

Good afternoon, friends from the media! It is a great pleasure to meet with you here to introduce the progress of COVID-19 vaccination work in China. At present, in accordance with the decision and deployment of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council, all localities are promoting vaccinations in a safer, more orderly and vigorous manner by distinguishing priorities, insisting on informed consent for voluntary and free vaccinations, integrating regular prevention and control with vaccination work, and undertaking due responsibility and industry supervision responsibilities in a prudent and orderly manner in accordance with the law. China has administered 64.98 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of March 14. At present, we are organizing the implementation of vaccination following a sequence of administering vaccines to key groups, high-risk groups and then the general public, and steadily increasing the vaccine coverage rate.

The first step is to vaccinate key groups. These groups include people facing a higher risk of occupational exposure, people at risk from overseas infections and people in key positions that maintain the basic operation of society, as well as people over 18 years old who live in border counties. We also include people who work in industries with higher risks of virus transmission such as the service industry and labor-intensive industry, some senior citizens who basically maintain good health but need to be vaccinated for special reasons, and other key groups decided by industrial authorities. At present, the vaccination of key groups is progressing in an orderly manner.

The second step is to vaccinate high-risk groups, which mainly include elderly people and people with underlying diseases. As data on the protective efficacy of the vaccine in these groups from clinical trials is not yet sufficient, vaccination of these groups will be arranged according to the progress of vaccine development. The mass vaccination of these groups will be carried out in a timely manner once sufficient data on vaccine safety and efficacy are available from clinical trials.

The third step is to widen the inoculation to the general public. In this stage, we will administer COVID-19 shots to the rest of the public who are willing to get vaccinated except for the above-mentioned two groups. Our ultimate goal is to effectively protect the health of all people.

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In order to ensure the smooth progress of the inoculation, we have mainly done the following work.

First, we have urged the relevant departments and local governments to perform their due responsibilities. A working mechanism of "daily reporting, weekly scheduling and semi-monthly announcement" has been in operation, and a monthly dynamic adjustment mechanism for vaccination supply and demand has been established. All relevant departments have shouldered their responsibilities to see that all vaccination tasks are fulfilled properly. Vaccination is the main task of epidemic prevention and control and has been carried out in all provinces. All localities have strengthened the coordinated management of vaccine supply within their jurisdictions, and accurately calculated the demand for vaccine use according to the vaccination plan and the capacity to guarantee services. Vaccine delivery and quality supervision of stored vaccines, as well as specific inoculation responsibilities, are implemented at the municipal and county levels. At present, localities have formulated step-by-step vaccination plans based on the statistical situation of various groups of people and set detailed timetables, so that the vaccination of various groups of people are advanced steadily and seamlessly. For people who have not yet completed vaccination, timely arrangements should be made. We can also move ahead of the vaccination schedule when it is possible. In these ways, the inoculation plans are arranged with national-level coordination. At present, the State Council's interagency task force has sent 15 instructor groups to various provinces to ensure that all measures are put in place.

Second, we are making every effort to roll out vaccination. The State Council's interagency task force has established relevant work systems to coordinate the supply of vaccines nationwide and strive to ensure that vaccines are produced at full capacity and expand capacity. The relevant departments have stepped up efforts to coordinate the supply and demand of vaccines, regulate the storage and transportation of vaccines, improve the efficiency of distribution, and guarantee the supply of vaccines. All localities set up sufficient vaccination stations with enough personnel and equipment, according to the amount of people that need vaccination and the amount of people that have been vaccinated. Vaccination workers must receive training before they are qualified for the job. They must strictly adhere to the principle of "three checks, seven verifications and one match" to ensure safe and standardized vaccination, including checking the recipient's health condition, contraindications and their vaccination cards and also recording the appearance, batch number, and expiration date of the vaccine and syringe. They must also verify the recipient's name, age, and the vaccine's product name, specification, dosage, injection site, and route of administration, and ensure that the information of the recipient, vaccination card and vaccines are all matched.

Third, we strictly implemented vaccine control measures. In terms of traceability, the country established a platform for nation-wide, coordinated, and electronic vaccine tracing, with stipulated information from various regions being reported to the platform in a timely and accurate manner. This enables the full traceability of vaccines covering the source and whereabouts. In terms of distribution and usage safety management, disease prevention and control departments and vaccination units made great efforts in strictly controlling vaccines on their way in and way out, and regularly monitor and record temperatures of COVID-19 vaccines during storage and transportation, so as to ensure safety. 

Fourth, we strengthened efforts to guarantee treatment for adverse events following immunization (AEFI). Class-two general hospitals and above were organized to provide medical treatment at vaccination spots they have been paired with. Experienced personnel for emergency treatment were sent to offer on-site support with necessary medical equipment and medicines. Ambulances were stationed on site. Personnel participating in medical treatment were given strict training to make sure suspected AEFIs can be identified in a timely manner and treated immediately. We made all-out efforts in organizing medical treatment, with barriers cleared for referrals and green paths for treatment established. 

Fifth, we carried out science popularization activities. We made timely releases of information relating to the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as knowledge regarding which kind of people the vaccines are suitable for and what to keep in mind during vaccination. This was done via official websites and official accounts on WeChat. We offered timely answers for the questions in people's mind, cleared their doubts, and earned the public's cooperation for the vaccination task. 

I just offered a brief introduction. Next, my colleagues and I will answer your questions. Thank you.

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Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Mr. Li. Now we will start to answer questions. Please state the news outlet that you work for before asking questions. 

CCTV: 

Many residents have received the notice for vaccination. Some others haven't. Are there means for them to get inoculated if they want to? Can they make appointments on their own and then go to vaccination spots for inoculations? Thank you.

Li Bin: 

We made comprehensive arrangements for this type of work to be carried out in an orderly manner when conducting the vaccination task. Mr. Chang will introduce the relevant information. 

Chang Jile:

Thank you for the questions. Mr. Li just mentioned that, high-risk groups will first get inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines, then high-priority groups, and finally other groups, according to the country's unified arrangement. Currently, all regions are devising practical plans to inoculate different groups of people at different stages according to the nation's overall arrangement. As far as we know, the current vaccination efforts around the country are mainly focused on target groups, most of which are involved in key industries and key places, and are mainly organized centrally by the units where they work, while some temporary vaccination points have been set up in places where target groups work and live. If a few targeted people couldn't take part in concentrated inoculations for personal reasons, they may get inoculated at vaccination units nearby afterwards, though, they need to contact vaccination units in advance, or they can make appointments according to the requirements of local health administrations, disease control departments and vaccination units. The vaccination task this time targets large groups of people and involves numerous vaccination spots. Many vaccination spots have been increased or set up for temporary use. Existing vaccination spots have expanded service capabilities. We are constantly optimizing vaccination services. We will also make timely public releases of information related to vaccination spots. People with questions about the inoculation of COVID-19 vaccines may consult local health departments, disease control institutions or vaccination units, online or via telephone. In short, we are currently advancing the inoculation of COVID-19 vaccines in an orderly and effective way, in accordance with the unified arrangement of the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council. We hope that all people will cooperate for this task to be done and get inoculated as early as possible to gain protection. Thank you.

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ThePaper.cn:

Surveys show that many Chinese are willing to get inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccines, but some have hesitations about the safety of the vaccines and have showed less willingness. How will you clear people's safety-related concerns? Thank you.

Li Bin:

This is a very good question. As I just mentioned, the basic principle of inoculation of COVID-19 vaccines in our country is for people to voluntarily get inoculated with informed consent. The number of inoculations is directly related to people's willingness to get inoculated. So, we have always paid attention to this issue when conducting the vaccination task, seeing it as the priority. We have been following up and doing research regarding this issue. According to what we have learnt, inoculation willingness is influenced by many factors and shows quite large changes. At present, there are two main factors impacting inoculation willingness. One is the epidemic prevention and control situation. Our country has taken powerful and appropriate measures in this field, and as a result, the situation has been stable, generally speaking. Therefore, this makes some people think that the risk of infection is rather low and there is no need to get inoculated for additional protection for the time being. The other one is that because the COVID-19 vaccines are new to the market, some people want to see more information about the efficacy. Many people are eager to know about safety data and efficacy issues, planning to get inoculated once more knowledge of the vaccines is known. These are the two factors that have the largest impact on the issue at the moment. 

Here, I would like to share something with you. First, regarding infection risks, although China's overall situations for epidemic prevention and control currently remain stable, there remain risks of infected cases importing the virus as well as localized outbreaks among individuals and across society. For the vast majority of people, if we have no immunity against the novel coronavirus, the possibility of infection will continue to exist, and some of us will likely show severe symptoms after getting infected. Therefore, vaccination is the best way to prevent COVID-19. Vaccination can effectively protect both individuals and society, and reduce infection, severe illness, and death rates. This is therefore the main strategy to prevent and control COVID-19 in the country at present.

Second, the more people who have been vaccinated, and therefore have immunity, means that we can effectively control the spread of the novel coronavirus. Vaccination can protect not only ourselves and our families but also the rest of society.

Third, regarding the vaccination effect, all the vaccines can be used in China only after they have undergone clinical studies in line with relevant domestic regulations. They must then be approved by the national medical products authorities and pass strict verifications. In the process of storage and transportation, all vaccines must be monitored and have their temperatures recorded at regular intervals to ensure that they meet the requirements regarding temperature environment and transportation. For vaccinations, we have expanded our personnel training and asked all medical staff to strictly implement operating instructions to guarantee the effectiveness and safety of vaccines.

With the development of vaccination work, the number of vaccinated people has increased, so I believe immunity will further rise. We hope more people will actively take part in vaccinations at an early date so that we can witness the protective effect of vaccines together. Thank you.

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CRNTT:

What is the suggested time between getting the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines? Is it possible to encounter an adverse reaction if you receive other vaccines after getting this one? Since China has carried out a massive domestic vaccination program, when are we expected to reach herd immunity? Thank you.

Li Bin:

This is a very specialized question, so I would like to invite Prof. Wang Huaqing to answer it.

Wang Huaqing:

Thanks for your question. Because the COVID-19 vaccine is new, the question you asked is not only a question that concerns the public but also one that professionals must conduct research on. Some time ago, we organized some experts to study and verify this issue. In order to monitor adverse reactions, suspected adverse reactions, and other considerations, we have studied whether tour novel coronavirus vaccine can be used simultaneously with other vaccines, and if not, how much time should there be between receiving vaccinations. Our findings show that at least two weeks' gap should be guaranteed between the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines. But in some special instances, the two weeks' recommendation can be waivered. For example, if someone has to be vaccinated against rabies or tetanus after being bitten by animals or are suffering trauma.

We all know that vaccines are external antigens that enter the human body. There will likely be some adverse reactions after vaccination, most of which will be normal reactions that will get better without treatment. However, sometimes there may be suspected adverse reactions with more severe symptoms. If that is the case, we recommend that the person goes to the hospital to receive timely diagnosis and treatment. During this process, if the doctor suspects that the adverse reactions were caused by the vaccine, the case will be reported and further investigation and diagnosis will be followed. In the future, we will continue to monitor and evaluate adverse reactions and suspected adverse reactions related to both the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines.

Just now you mentioned the issue of the immunological barrier, which is something that is of particular concern to the public, and also the direction in which we have been working hard. Everyone knows that COVID-19 is a disease that most or all the public is susceptible to. It has a very high severe co-morbidity rate for people with chronic diseases and the elderly, while some people may eventually lose their lives due to severe illness. According to the results of global monitoring, the global case fatality rate exceeds 2%, which is also relatively high. Under the circumstances, the key for us in controlling this disease is to rely on vaccines. As for other non-vaccine measures, China has made great efforts in various aspects in the early stages. The cost of taking non-vaccine prevention and control measures together has also been very high. We hope that in the future we will build an immunological barrier through vaccination. This is also the conclusion of our experience in controlling past infectious diseases.

Regarding the establishment of herd immunity, this has a lot to do with the protective efficacy of the vaccines and the population's vaccination rate. In the past, we eliminated smallpox and formed a population immunity of around 85% — that is the population immunity, not the vaccination rate. This means that the rate of people with immunity accounted for 85% of the whole population. Measles, which is more contagious, requires 95% of the population to be immune to block the disease. We have eliminated smallpox, and put forward the goal of eliminating measles. The goal of elimination is to prevent it from spreading, so the population must have high immunity.

COVID-19 vaccinations should be carried out step by step. The first step is to consider key populations, those with key jobs and who are at high risk of infection. The second step involves people who may be at risk of severe illness, and the third step involves other groups. In the end, all eligible members of the public will be vaccinated. This is the basis for the establishment of an immunological barrier or herd immunity. Of course, the establishment of such an immunological barrier requires efforts from all sides, including the public. Therefore, we hope that members of the public who received COVID-19 vaccination appointments will actively cooperate, and get vaccinated. Let's work together to build an immunological barrier, so that our studies, work and lives can return to normal. Thank you.

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Reuters:

We have heard many times about production capacity, and are particularly concerned about the issue of output. What is the actual production volume of the four COVID-19 vaccines currently on the market in China? For example, what are the actual daily, weekly and monthly outputs? Or, how many have been produced so far? Also, in terms of these four vaccines, what is the difference between actual production output and designed production capacity? Why is there such a difference? Just now you mentioned some goals. What are the actual production plans for these four vaccines? How many doses of vaccine are actually planned to be produced, by certain specific times? Thank you.

Li Bin:

You've asked a combination of several questions. I'd like to invite Mr. Tian Yulong to introduce the relevant situations.

Tian Yulong:

Thank you for your questions. You are very professional and concerned about the issue of vaccine production. According to the overall deployment of the State Council's interagency task force, the MIIT has taken the lead in working with the NHC, the NMPA and other relevant departments to ensure the supply of COVID-19 vaccines. Your concerns are regarding production. At present, four vaccines have been granted conditional approval, including three inactivated vaccines from Sinopharm CNBG Beijing, Sinopharm CNBG Wuhan and the Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech, as well as a Chinese adenovirus vector vaccine from the Tianjin-based CanSino Biologics. These four companies have begun organizing mass production. Just now, Mr. Li Bin explained that we have completed more than 60 million vaccinations, so we have met the current supply and demand pretty well. You will have also seen our donations to other countries, with our exports receiving positive feedback — so, we have also supported international demand.

It appears that domestic vaccine production is still expanding. With the continuous release of production capacity, the output will gradually increase. This reflects China's institutional advantages, industrial mobilization capabilities, and enterprises' advantages in efficient organization. During the Spring Festival, vaccine enterprises worked overtime and raced against time to organize production at full capacity, which also reflects our people-centered philosophy. According to the current production plans, we have established a dynamic guarantee balance mechanism for production supply and demand. We must accurately measure demand and implement vaccinations step by step, so that the accurate connection between production and supply can be guaranteed. Our continuous release of vaccine output and production capacity at all stages throughout the year has met the needs at all stages. Therefore, we are still very confident, because China's industrial mobilization, emergency response capabilities and corporate capabilities of organizing production are highly efficient.

One thing particularly important is that vaccines are different from other anti-epidemic supplies and medicines, and it is crucial to ensure absolute quality and safety throughout the entire vaccine production chain and process. The production process is very complex, with many production steps and high technical content, and market access and supervision are also very strict. We and the drug regulation authorities have cooperated in ensuring quality and safety and every batch of vaccines must undergo a necessary period of production testing. During the period, safety must be ensured in every procedure, and measures like testing must be intensified. We must make safety and quality the bottom line in capacity release, production and supply. On this premise, our production capacity is constantly expanding. We and the health authorities have established a dynamic, precise and balanced mechanism for vaccine production and supply to meet vaccination demands, and I believe we will be able to complete our task successfully. Thank you. 

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South China Morning Post:

We know that there is demand for Chinese vaccines in many countries and that China itself has to build up an immunization barrier for its own entire population, so is there a priority? How do you balance the demand for vaccines at home and abroad?

Tian Yulong: 

Vaccine is an important field of current anti-epidemic cooperation in international community. We can see from the news that while prioritizing meeting domestic demand, China has taken practical actions to implement President Xi Jinping's announcement about making COVID-19 vaccines a global public good. We have actively promoted international cooperation on vaccine and won recognition from the international community. 

At the end of February, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released information that China had been providing vaccine aid to more than 50 countries and exporting jabs to 27 countries. As China's vaccines become more and more popular, we believe that more countries will accept them. China's production capacity will continue to be released and output will continue to expand, and so will our supply both at home and abroad. While ensuring that domestic needs are met, we will keep increasing our assistance and exports to other countries and jointly fight against the epidemic. We are confident that China's high-quality, safe vaccines will be welcomed by more countries and we are willing to make more efforts in this regard. Thank you. 

China Media Group:

Currently, China has approved four types of COVID-19 vaccines for market launch. What are their differences, and the advantages and weaknesses of each? 

Li Bin: 

This question goes to Mr. Wang. 

Wang Junzhi: 

The four categories of COVID-19 vaccines are developed through two approaches. The difference is that three of them are inactivated vaccines and one is an adenovirus vaccine. The inactivated vaccine uses physicochemical methods to inactivate the live virus after its activation and expansion and then purify it. The vaccine's character is that its component is the most similar to the structure of the natural virus. Therefore, it gives a strong immune response and safety is ensured. The vaccine is stable to be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius for two to three years, and is easy to be transported, which is convenient for people in remote areas. This vaccine requires two shots. As for the adenovirus vaccine, we take Ad5 as the vector, introduce COVID-19 antigens, and then make viral vector vaccines with bioreactors. This production technology is relatively easy and the cost is low, because it was based on our original Ad5 Ebola vaccine. This type of vaccine can not only generate neutralizing antibodies but also improve cellular immunity, using a one-dose immunization procedure. The one-dose immunization is really convenient for specific populations with emergency needs.

No matter what approaches we take, the most important thing is to adjust to the features of the antigens and pathogens, and use the most suitable technology to develop safe, effective and quality-controlled vaccines. That is the most crucial criterion for vaccines to work. Thank you. 

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Bloomberg:

China announced a vaccine passport last week, aimed to allowing citizens to travel internationally. That will only work if you can get other countries to recognize it. What outreach is China making on this front, and have any countries said they'll recognize China's passport? 

Li Bin:

We are actively working in this field. First, we have paid close attention to the policies and measures adopted by each country after administering COVID-19 vaccines. This includes the international issue of recognizing people who have been vaccinated, which you mentioned. Second, we have been actively studying relevant policies, which are currently undergoing adjustments and improvements. Relevant departments of the interagency task force have been leading the work, and we will publish detailed rules once the policies have been approved. By adopting these policies, we aim to further promote COVID-19 vaccination, and boost international communication and exchanges. Thank you.

Cover News:

Besides the four approved vaccines which are already available on the market, how is the development of other vaccines progressing? It has been reported that teams headed by Chen Wei and Zhong Nanshan, both academicians with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, have deployed new vaccine research and development. What is the special significance of the new vaccines currently being developed? Thank you.

Wang Junzhi:

As we know, 17 Chinese COVID-19 vaccines are currently going through clinical trials, four of which have been approved under certain conditions, and another three technological approaches are either in phase 3 clinical trials or will enter phase 3 clinical trials shortly. The public are all very interested in their progress for the future. For these vaccines, two tasks must be accomplished before they can enter the market. First, we must ensure that the data on safety and effectiveness for phase 3 clinical trials meet relevant requirements. Second, we must complete the commercial-scale production process verification, and establish reliable quality standards. We need to collect sufficient data from clinical trials. This is not an easy task, because we have faced great difficulties in doing phase 3 clinical trials, which are done abroad. Once there is enough data to show that a vaccine is as effective as it is designed and that it has an acceptable safety profile, the applicant can submit the marketing application to the NMPA. The NMPA will immediately complete the reviewal process, and ensure that safe and effective vaccines can be available on the market as soon as possible.

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China News Service:

If the number of new COVID-19 vaccines approved for the market increases, the whole of society will be concerned about their quality and safety. What measures will the NMPA take to enhance the supervision of vaccine quality? Thank you.

Li Bin:

This question is very clear, so I'd like to invite Mr. Yuan Lin, head of the Department of Drug Regulation of the NMPA, to introduce the situation.

Yuan Lin:

Thank you for your question. This is a very important issue that has generated much interest, and is also related to concerns over safety for people who have been vaccinated. Through years of efforts, and along with the rapid development of the economy and society, China has established a fairly complete vaccine regulatory system, a relatively comprehensive legal system and a comparatively sound vaccine quality standards system. We have implemented good manufacturing practices (GMP) in line with advanced international standards, and China's vaccine regulatory system has twice passed the evaluation of the WHO's national regulatory system. As such, it can be said that our vaccine regulation has been internationally recognized.

Especially since the outbreak of COVID-19, the NMPA has resolutely implemented a series of important instructions given by General Secretary Xi Jinping on COVID-19 vaccines, and implemented decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. In particular, in the aspect of implementing the "four strictest" regulatory requirements for vaccines, a series of strong and effective measures have been taken to ensure the quality and safety of the COVID-19 vaccines.

It is well known that with regards to laws and regulations, China is the only country in the world that has introduced a specific law on vaccine management, which is the Vaccine Administration Law. On that basis, we have formulated a series of supporting rules and regulations and put in place requirements on technical specifications, ensuring that all vaccine-related companies, including distribution companies, as well as vaccination centers and regulation authorities can act in line with relevant laws and rules, and all of our work can be carried out in an orderly manner within the legal framework. To ensure the quality of vaccines, by adhering to the laws, regulations and supervision, and being responsible for the people, we have made it clear that vaccine manufacturers are primarily responsible for ensuring the quality and safety of vaccines. We require that vaccine manufacturers assume the main responsibilities in accordance with the law. They are required to act as follows: First, they must strictly abide by the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for Drugs. Second, they must ensure that products are produced according to approved manufacturing techniques and standards. The process of vaccine manufacturing is relatively complex and missteps can be caused by oversights. Meanwhile, to further ensure the quality and safety of vaccines, we require manufacturers to conduct strict testing before releasing vaccines and take responsibility for pharmaceutical marketing, including strictly following requirements on transport, delivery and cold-chain logistics. At the same time, we require manufacturers to actively collect and analyze information on adverse reactions that occur during vaccination work. The aim of all these measures is to ensure the safety and quality of vaccines throughout the entire management chain. 

For regulation authorities, we used a combination of measures to tighten supervision and law enforcement. We just mentioned that four manufacturers have been granted conditional market approval for vaccines. We organized comprehensive and systematic inspection tours of these companies in a timely manner. Meanwhile, we organized inspections of relevant workshops to ensure that they were licensed. We also arranged for expert inspectors from national and local drug regulatory authorities to carry out inspections and spot checks regularly or periodically. One of the important measures we have organized is for a team of at least two inspectors stationed in the manufacturers to supervise different aspects using various measures, to supervise and guide companies to improve their management system and ensure their manufacturing processes are in line with laws and regulations, in a bid to ensure vaccine quality. With the joint efforts and coordinated cooperation with relevant departments, we are working together to use information technology to track vaccine information, monitor suspected adverse reactions during vaccination and offer proper handling, and crack down on vaccine-related crimes and violations in accordance with the law. 

By taking various, effective measures, we will ensure the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in a comprehensive manner and lay a solid foundation for the vaccination work. Thank you.

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Red Star News:

Recently, blood banks in some parts of the country have been facing blood shortages. Those in charge of local departments have said that this is related to the COVID-19 vaccinations. What impact will COVID-19 vaccinations have on blood donation? When can vaccine recipients donate blood? Are blood stocks still able to meet people's needs? Thank you. 

Li Bin:

This is a very important question. Health care authorities have always attached great importance to the safety and supply of blood. Ensuring blood supply is one of our major tasks. During the vaccination work, we have been paying attention to the question of how to ensure the effective blood supply. Mr. Chang will introduce the details. 

Chang Jile:

Thank you for your question. The safety of blood supply has a direct bearing on clinical and medical treatment services. The NHC has always attached great importance to the implementation of the Blood Donation Law, and made great efforts to encourage the public to participate in voluntary blood donation. The amount of blood collected from voluntary donors in China has increased for 20 consecutive years, with all blood donated for clinical use undergoing nucleic acid testing. China ranks among the top countries in the world in terms of ensuring the safety of blood supply. We have also used information technology to establish a monitoring and early warning system on blood inventories across the nation and a coordinating mechanism to guarantee supply. Through the national management system of blood inventories, 452 blood banks across the country share their information with one another and can timely monitor the collection and storage of blood in different places. In the case of a transient blood shortage or low supplies of certain blood types in certain areas, we immediately kick-start the coordinating mechanism and timely allocate blood from blood banks where storage is sufficient to ensure supply.

Regarding the impact of vaccination on blood donation, in the light of the current blood donor eligibility criteria and different types of vaccines inoculated, the suspension of blood donation ranges from 24 hours to four weeks. In addition, according to the Blood Donation Law, there should be an interval of no less than six months between donations. Since the COVID-19 vaccination campaign launched, we have strengthened the monitoring and allocation work of blood storage and rolled out a system which includes daily monitoring and reporting. As of now, the national level of stored blood is above the security line. The blood supply is stable and can basically meet the demands for clinical use. Initially, to ensure the safety of blood donors and vaccine recipients, following the principle of being proactive and prudent, we organized experts to study this question. We have also taken common international practice into consideration with regards to the suspension of blood donations after inoculation by the COVID-19 vaccine. 

As the inoculation of COVID-19 vaccines is proceeding worldwide, the delay periods for blood donation after vaccination have been successively updated and released internationally. Therefore, in line with the principle of scientific prudence, we have also organized experts to conduct a study to determine the time to suspend blood donation after vaccination against the new coronavirus. Next, we will continue to strengthen the education and mobilization of voluntary non-remunerated blood donation, and encourage healthy citizens of the right age to actively donate blood without compensation. On the other hand, we will guide clinics to strengthen the rational use of blood, and at the same time closely monitor the situation of blood stocks nationwide, make timely deployments and do a good job in guaranteeing clinical blood use. Thank you.

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The Straits Times: 

In the beginning, China's vaccination program appeared to be ahead of all other countries, but the rate of inoculation seems to have slowed in recent months. Is this because of the hesitation that you mentioned earlier? And other plans to release more clinical trial data so people are less worried? 

Li Bin:

Just now I briefed you on the current situation of vaccination. So far, 64.98 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in China, and the inoculation program is now being promoted in a steady and orderly manner. We have been paying close attention to public's willingness to get vaccinated during our inoculation work. Next, we will vigorously advance the vaccination program and constantly improve vaccine rollout.

Guangming Daily:

We know that vaccines are products that need tight supervision. They have to go through the lot release process before they are authorized for the market. Can China's current lot release capacity meet the demand for the large-scale production of COVID-19 vaccines? Thank you.

Li Bin:

Mr. Yuan will answer this question.

Yuan Lin:

Thank you for your question. Vaccines are products that need key and strict regulation. Lot release must be taken as the bottom line or even the red line to ensure the quality and safety of the vaccines. At the same time, lot release is also an internationally accepted, effective and powerful regulatory measure for vaccines and other biological products. I mentioned China's Vaccine Management Law just now—the first of its kind in the world which took effect on Dec. 1, 2019. The law clearly stipulates that vaccines entering China's market, both those produced domestically and imported ones, should undergo the lot release process in accordance with the law. More specifically, each lot of vaccines, before their release onto the market, need to be tested and approved by nationally recognized lot release institutions. The NMPA attaches great importance to enhancing China's lot release capacity, and has made timely and comprehensive analyses of the country's current strength of vaccine production and lot release. With the strong support and coordination of relevant departments, we have planned ahead and adopted phased and step-by-step measures in advance to further intensify and accelerate the capacity building of biological products lot release and of the relevant testing institutions. What gratifies us is that at present, the national medical products testing institutions and those at the provincial (municipality) level including Beijing, Hubei and Guangdong, have all gained the capacity to carry out lot release for COVID-19 vaccines. Meanwhile, we are actively promoting the capacity building of other provincial-level drug testing institutions. It is expected that a dozen new institutions will be able to conduct lot release for vaccines in the near future, which will continuously meet the needs for coronavirus vaccine lot release in China.

Simultaneously, we are stepping up efforts to constantly improve our testing quality and efficiency to keep pace with the production capacity of COVID-19 vaccines. We require all the lot release institutions to strengthen their management, to conduct tests on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines in accordance with legal requirements and national standards, and to ensure the quality of the lot release work. To actively keep pace with the country's rising production capacity of the coronavirus vaccines, we demand that on the premise of ensuring quality, testing institutions should tap internal potential and improve efficiency. We also require that the institutions' testing work and vaccine manufacturers' statutory self-checks are started, conducted and completed simultaneously, which has greatly shortened the time it takes for COVID-19 vaccines to enter the market. Through the continuous efforts of the national medical products administration system to enhance the lot release capacity, we can fully ensure the effective coordination and consistency of the coronavirus vaccine lot release capability and manufacturers' continuously increasing production capacity and output. This will ultimately guarantee the smooth administering of COVID-19 vaccines. Thank you. 

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Economic Daily:

How is the raw material supply for vaccine production? Can the production and supply of key materials be guaranteed? What measures have been taken to ensure the production of materials and the stability of production and supply chains? Thank you.

Li Bin:

I'd like to invite Mr. Tian Yulong to answer these questions. 

Tian Yulong:

Thank you for your questions, which I think are very important. A stable and adequate supply of materials is essential to vaccine production. The MIIT accumulated significant experience in this regard while ensuring the supply of medical products last year. Thanks to the integrity of our industrial system and our ability to mobilize, organize and respond to emergencies, we established an industrial chain connecting upstream and downstream companies. The experience was helpful for us to adopt good measures in accurately connecting and ensuring the smooth operation of supply and industrial chains, and upstream and downstream vaccine production systems.

Our measures focus on two aspects. The first is to ensure the stability of the vaccine production chain. Vaccine production involves multiple links, including the supply of equipment on production lines, raw materials, auxiliary materials, packaging materials, cold-chain equipment for the transportation of vaccines, and the equipment required for vaccination. All these links require stable production and supply chains. We have focused on coordinating the production, procurement, and supply of these materials. At present, China has a complete vaccine production system; the supply of raw and auxiliary materials is orderly, stable, and sufficient enough to support large-scale production now and for some time to come. We are quite confident of this. This is the most important foundation for ensuring large-scale production and the supply of vaccines needed for the inoculation program.

The second aspect is the supply chain. To ensure the safe, efficient and quick transportation of vaccines to inoculation and distribution venues, we need to establish a logistics chain, a testing chain, and other relevant chains for upstream and downstream companies. These chains are critical for orderly, efficient, smooth, and safe production, as well as testing and the use of vaccines. The MIIT and relevant departments have established sound mechanisms for efficient cooperation to ensure not only steady production but also efficient transportation and supply of vaccines. So, please rest assured.

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Hong Kong Economic Herald:

The impact of mutations on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines has drawn both domestic and international attention. Regarding the vaccines approved for conditional marketing in China, how effective are they against coronavirus mutations? Thank you.

Li Bin: 

I'd like to invite Mr. Wang Junzhi to answer the question.

Wang Junzhi:

This is an issue of great concern both at home and abroad. Currently, we haven't found that mutated COVID-19 strains have had an obvious impact on the efficacy of domestic vaccines approved for conditional marketing. Companies developing the vaccines have conducted cross-neutralization tests and evaluations on mutant virus strains using immune serums. The latest study report still shows no obvious decrease in the neutralizing activity of both the inactivated vaccine and recombinant protein vaccine against new COVID-19 strains, including the strain discovered in South Africa. However, more follow-up studies are needed.

We need to attach great importance to this issue. The long-term spread of the virus may result in the accumulation of multiple mutations. When the accumulation reaches a certain level, it may undermine the protection given by vaccines. This risk does exist. In order to effectively counter the influence of virus mutations, we must take precautionary measures and actively prepare for this. I think the following two aspects are very important. First, we need to carry out close and real-time monitoring, collect variants quickly once they are detected, and then perform tests on them to identify their impact on vaccines. Second, we need to step up the development of vaccine platforms. By arranging five technical routes, China has already established a powerful platform for vaccine R&D. In addition, we are taking proactive measures to develop a new generation of vaccines so that we can roll out effective vaccines as quick as we can against new variants once mutations are proven to eliminate or greatly reduce the efficacy of existing vaccines. This is critical.

Generally, we need to improve our comprehensive capabilities to better deal with virus mutations in the future. This is the most important thing to do. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

The State Council's interagency task force briefing today is hereby concluded. Thank you all. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Liu Sitong, Zhou Jing, Lin Liyao, Wang Zhiyong, Zhang Rui, Liu Qiang, Liu Jianing, Fan Junmei, Cui Can, Zhang Junmian, Xu Xiaoxuan, Li Huiru, Zhang Liying, Wang Qian, Wang Yiming, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.