Shanghai, First Foreigners Receive Vaccinations in China... "Costs Must Be Paid Personally"

Vaccination Available Only to Foreigners Who Wish to Receive It
Self-Payment Principle, 100 Yuan per Dose Required

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Shanghai, China, announced that it will be the first city in China to administer COVID-19 vaccinations to foreigners residing in the country. Foreigners who wish to be vaccinated can receive the vaccine by paying a fee of 100 yuan (approximately 17,000 KRW) per dose under the principle of self-payment. The types of vaccines available for foreigners have not yet been finalized.

According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 25th (local time), Shanghai announced that starting from the 29th, it will begin COVID-19 vaccinations for foreigners living in the city. This is the first time that vaccinations are being administered to foreigners in China. It is expected that soon, vaccinations for foreigners will also be carried out in other major first-tier cities with large foreign populations, such as Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.

Shanghai stated that COVID-19 vaccinations will be provided only to foreigners who wish to be vaccinated under the principle of self-risk assumption. Foreigners who want to get vaccinated must download the mobile application "Health Cloud" operated by Shanghai, make a reservation, and then go to the designated location to receive the vaccine. Additionally, they must sign a waiver agreeing that no responsibility will be taken if any health issues arise.

Furthermore, foreigners must pay a vaccination fee of 100 yuan (approximately 17,000 KRW) per dose to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Shanghai. SCMP reported that the specific vaccine to be used for foreigners has not yet been disclosed.

Although the vaccination rate in China has not yet reached 10% of the population, the high proportion of foreigners in international cities like Shanghai has led to the conclusion that vaccinating foreigners is necessary for effective epidemic prevention. It is also analyzed that vaccinating foreigners is part of vaccine diplomacy.

Since the end of last year, the Chinese government has begun supplying COVID-19 vaccines developed by domestic pharmaceutical companies such as Sinopharm and Sinovac to its citizens, with over 74 million people reportedly vaccinated. According to the National Health Commission of China, as of the 20th, more than 74.956 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered on the Chinese mainland.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.