https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/508154/feed Latest news and updates on Chinese coronavirus vaccines. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Thomas O. Falk Thomas O. Falk When US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jnr removed the vaccine advisory panel of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), he framed it as a move for the “restoration of public trust”. But the implications stretch far beyond domestic politics. In dismantling one of the world’s most respected sources of vaccine expertise, the United States is not just undermining its public health, it is ceding global scientific authority to China. Trump’s elevation of figures like Pete Hegseth,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3314065/us-vaccine-sceptics-are-now-charge-thats-bad-news-world https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3314065/us-vaccine-sceptics-are-now-charge-thats-bad-news-world Sun, 15 Jun 2025 12:30:07 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China have developed a nanovaccine candidate that could offer universal protection against all major Covid-19 variants – as well as protect against future coronavirus mutants with pandemic potential. The institute – which has engaged in bat coronavirus research for years – has in recent years been embroiled in controversy, and scrutiny from countries including the United States, over accusations that the Covid-19 pandemic originated from a lab... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3278004/chinas-wuhan-virology-institute-creates-nasal-covid-19-vaccine-future-pandemics https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3278004/chinas-wuhan-virology-institute-creates-nasal-covid-19-vaccine-future-pandemics Wed, 11 Sep 2024 13:00:09 +0000 The Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine will no longer be offered in Hong Kong from early October, with authorities saying they expect a new jab targeting the prevalent coronavirus variant to be available by the end of the year. The Centre for Health Protection said on Thursday that no more supply of Sinovac’s CoronaVac jabs would be available after the current batch expired on October 3. “The vaccine supplier confirmed that they will no longer produce the vaccines,” the centre said. The inactivated... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3273775/hong-kong-stop-offering-sinovac-covid-vaccine-when-current-stocks-expire-october https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3273775/hong-kong-stop-offering-sinovac-covid-vaccine-when-current-stocks-expire-october Thu, 08 Aug 2024 16:39:24 +0000 Speaking at a hearing late last month as head of the foreign relations committee in the Philippines, Senator Imee Marcos was running out of adjectives to describe a clandestine disinformation campaign by the US Department of Defence (DoD) to sow doubts about China’s Covid-19 vaccines in her country and elsewhere at the height of the global pandemic. The US government-sanctioned propaganda campaign, conducted mostly on social media, was “evil, wicked, dangerous, unethical”, said the sister of the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3272340/missteps-admitted-no-apology-us-military-anti-vax-propaganda https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3272340/missteps-admitted-no-apology-us-military-anti-vax-propaganda Mon, 29 Jul 2024 13:00:14 +0000 The European Commission did not allow the public enough access to information about Covid-19 vaccine purchase agreements it secured with pharmaceutical companies during the pandemic, the EU general court said Wednesday. The decision came a day ahead of a vote at the European Parliament, at which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is seeking re-election. A group of EU lawmakers had taken legal action after the Commission refused to grant them complete access to Covid-19 vaccine... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3270821/european-commission-wrong-redact-covid-19-vaccine-deal-details-eu-court-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3270821/european-commission-wrong-redact-covid-19-vaccine-deal-details-eu-court-says Wed, 17 Jul 2024 09:57:26 +0000 The revelation that the US military engaged in a secret propaganda campaign to undermine China’s Covid-19 vaccines in countries like the Philippines is deeply troubling and has grave implications for Southeast Asia. By fanning fears and scepticism about the Chinese Sinovac vaccine at the height of the pandemic, the Pentagon recklessly jeopardised public health across the region for the sake of scoring geopolitical points against a rival. The clandestine operation, which involved creating fake... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3268510/after-its-anti-china-covid-jab-fake-news-campaign-us-has-regain-aseans-trust https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3268510/after-its-anti-china-covid-jab-fake-news-campaign-us-has-regain-aseans-trust Sat, 29 Jun 2024 03:00:17 +0000 America’s reputation has been bruised in many parts of the world due to its actions, from destabilising uncooperative governments, overruling the mandate of newly elected foreign leaders and, in extreme cases, invading other countries. In recent years, its position has improved somewhat, not so much by its own doing but by those of its competitors and adversaries, which have shown they are not above pressuring foreign leaders, threatening outright hostilities or, as with Russia’s invasion of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3267283/no-good-reason-us-spread-anti-vax-rumours-philippines https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3267283/no-good-reason-us-spread-anti-vax-rumours-philippines Sat, 22 Jun 2024 21:30:07 +0000 America’s reputation has been bruised in many parts of the world due to its actions, from destabilising uncooperative governments, overruling the mandate of newly elected foreign leaders and, in extreme cases, invading other countries. In recent years, its position has improved somewhat, not so much by its own doing but by those of its competitors and adversaries, which have shown they are not above pressuring foreign leaders, threatening outright hostilities or, as with Russia’s invasion of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/article/3267472/no-good-reason-us-spread-anti-vax-rumours-philippines https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/article/3267472/no-good-reason-us-spread-anti-vax-rumours-philippines Fri, 21 Jun 2024 04:11:58 +0000 Beijing has called on Washington to “stop fabricating and disseminating false information” in response to a report that the Pentagon ran a secret campaign during the Covid-19 pandemic to discredit China’s vaccines. “The facts have proven time and again that the United States has consistently spread false information through the manipulation of social media, poisoned the public opinion environment and smeared the image of other countries,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3266960/china-lashes-out-us-after-report-pentagons-secret-anti-vax-campaign https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3266960/china-lashes-out-us-after-report-pentagons-secret-anti-vax-campaign Mon, 17 Jun 2024 11:31:57 +0000 The US Defence Department did not deny a report accusing the Pentagon of orchestrating a secret campaign meant to discredit Chinese Covid-19 vaccines, and suggested that the move was an attempt to counter “malign influence campaigns” run by Beijing. The department said on Sunday, in response to a query about a Reuters report that the Pentagon tried to discredit the quality of Chinese face masks, test kits and the country’s Sinovac vaccine, that it conducts “a wide range of operations, including... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3266836/pentagon-not-denying-secret-campaign-discredit-chinese-vaccines https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3266836/pentagon-not-denying-secret-campaign-discredit-chinese-vaccines Sun, 16 Jun 2024 18:17:53 +0000 Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac has hit back following a report that the United States military ran a secret anti-vax programme during the Covid-19 crisis to discredit China’s vaccine, calling the Pentagon campaign a “wrong attack that will create enormous disaster”. A Reuters investigation published on Friday found that in the summer of 2020, 300 accounts were created on Twitter, now known as X, that disparaged the quality of Chinese face masks, test kits and the Sinovac vaccine – the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3266786/sinovac-hits-back-over-reported-us-campaign-discredit-chinas-covid-19-vaccine https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3266786/sinovac-hits-back-over-reported-us-campaign-discredit-chinas-covid-19-vaccine Sun, 16 Jun 2024 04:20:15 +0000 A former senior executive at China’s largest vaccine maker, who led the development of the country’s first inactivated Covid-19 shot, has been dismissed from the national legislature. Yang Xiaoming was removed from his post as a deputy of the legislature for alleged “serious violations of discipline and law”, the National People’s Congress (NPC) said in an official statement on Friday, using a common euphemism for corruption. Yang, 62, is a veteran researcher and former chairman of China... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3260709/man-behind-chinas-first-approved-covid-19-shot-expelled-national-legislature https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3260709/man-behind-chinas-first-approved-covid-19-shot-expelled-national-legislature Mon, 29 Apr 2024 01:00:35 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Brazil’s federal police have accused former president Jair Bolsonaro of criminal association and falsifying his own Covid-19 vaccination data, marking the first indictment for the embattled far-right leader with others potentially in store. The Supreme Court released the police’s indictment on Tuesday that alleged Bolsonaro and 16 others inserted false information into the public health database to make it appear as though the then-president, his 12-year-old daughter and several others in his... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3255989/brazils-ex-president-jair-bolsonaro-indicted-over-alleged-falsification-his-own-vaccination-data https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3255989/brazils-ex-president-jair-bolsonaro-indicted-over-alleged-falsification-his-own-vaccination-data Tue, 19 Mar 2024 13:50:11 +0000 Hongkongers should get vaccinated with the latest generation of Covid-19 jabs and flu shots ahead of Lunar New Year, as the risk of an outbreak will be higher amid a surge in social gatherings, a medical expert has said. Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, chair professor of infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong, on Saturday said about 80 per cent of cases in the isolation ward of Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam were related to Covid-19, while there was only one report of a flu infection. The flu... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3250003/hongkongers-should-get-covid-xbb-variant-jabs-flu-shots-ahead-lunar-new-year-amid-higher-outbreak https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3250003/hongkongers-should-get-covid-xbb-variant-jabs-flu-shots-ahead-lunar-new-year-amid-higher-outbreak Sat, 27 Jan 2024 06:37:02 +0000 Health authorities on Thursday said Hong Kong had received its first batch of Covid-19 vaccines targeting the XBB variant, adding that high-risk groups, including the elderly, would be prioritised. The shipment consists of about 100,000 new-generation XBB vaccine doses manufactured by US drug firm Pfizer. “In view of the limited local supply of the XBB vaccine, the government will arrange the vaccination of high-risk individuals in batches,” the Department of Health said. “Care home residents... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3243398/hong-kong-receives-first-batch-covid-xbb-variant-vaccines-prioritises-elderly https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3243398/hong-kong-receives-first-batch-covid-xbb-variant-vaccines-prioritises-elderly Thu, 30 Nov 2023 11:58:33 +0000 Fosun International, through its Shanghai-based healthcare unit, is ready to deliver its first locally built Da Vinci surgical robots to its clients in a major step to make advanced medical technology affordable to Chinese patients. The first robot has been fully built and completed for an undisclosed client, more than a year after its unit Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group (Fosun Pharma) joined with California-based Intuitive Surgical to build a 700 million yuan (US$96 million) research and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3241245/fosun-pharma-prepares-deliver-da-vinci-surgical-robots-make-advanced-medical-treatment-affordable https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3241245/fosun-pharma-prepares-deliver-da-vinci-surgical-robots-make-advanced-medical-treatment-affordable Sun, 12 Nov 2023 08:14:06 +0000 Chinese scientists working on mRNA technology, the foundation of Covid-19 vaccines, are hopeful of a boost to their field following a Nobel Prize win for two pioneers in the area. Hungarian-born Katalin Kariko and American Drew Weissman won the Nobel Prize for medicine this year for work that paved the way for groundbreaking vaccines against the coronavirus. Billions of mRNA-based Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna doses were administered and together with other Covid-19 vaccines, “saved millions of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3237111/we-are-overjoyed-chinese-mrna-researchers-celebrate-nobel-win-fields-pioneers https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3237111/we-are-overjoyed-chinese-mrna-researchers-celebrate-nobel-win-fields-pioneers Fri, 06 Oct 2023 14:00:23 +0000 China’s national health agency has begun a new vaccination drive for the elderly ahead of a possible Covid-19 wave in the autumn and winter, state-run Xinhua reported on Tuesday. Since the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant XBB became the dominant strain of the virus circulating in China, the State Council’s Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism has called for prioritising vaccinating people aged 60 and above ahead of the colder weather, Xinhua said. XBB poses greater risks to the elderly... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3229756/coronavirus-china-beijing-urges-new-vaccination-drive-next-covid-wave-looms https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3229756/coronavirus-china-beijing-urges-new-vaccination-drive-next-covid-wave-looms Wed, 02 Aug 2023 10:44:52 +0000 Chinese pharmaceutical stocks that slumped after Beijing lifted its stringent zero-Covid policy are gaining traction again, as health authorities said new vaccines for coronavirus variants are in the pipeline to tackle future outbreaks. A gauge tracking 55 Covid-19-treatment related stocks listed on the mainland rallied 2.8 per cent on Tuesday, the most since mid-December when Covid cases surged after the nation abandoned the anti-pandemic policies and reopened the economy, according to data... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/markets/article/3221544/shares-chinas-covid-19-vaccine-makers-surge-health-authorities-are-set-approve-jabs-omicron-variants https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/markets/article/3221544/shares-chinas-covid-19-vaccine-makers-surge-health-authorities-are-set-approve-jabs-omicron-variants Tue, 23 May 2023 09:54:16 +0000 A key global virus database has said it is working to improve its governance and operations after a news investigation raised questions about transparency and access. The Global Initiative for Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) was thrust into the spotlight after the journal Science reported on April 19 that researchers had been cut off from accessing the database. The report said the move was possibly retaliation for disagreeing with or criticising the initiative, which GISAID denied. GISAID,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3219950/global-virus-database-pledges-clarity-operations-after-science-article-flags-access-issues https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3219950/global-virus-database-pledges-clarity-operations-after-science-article-flags-access-issues Wed, 10 May 2023 03:00:07 +0000 Researchers with Chinese tech giant Baidu say they have developed a new artificial intelligence algorithm that can identify the optimal mRNA sequence for a stable and effective Covid-19 vaccine in just minutes. The team led by Baidu Research, the AI-focused arm of the tech company, said the algorithm, named LinearDesign, could also be used to develop mRNA vaccines for other diseases and treatments including cancer medicine and monoclonal antibodies. Their Covid-19 vaccine achieved up to 128... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3219400/does-chinese-tech-giants-ai-algorithm-hold-key-better-mrna-vaccines https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3219400/does-chinese-tech-giants-ai-algorithm-hold-key-better-mrna-vaccines Thu, 04 May 2023 12:00:20 +0000 Fewer than one in three of Singapore’s children aged five to 11 have “minimum protection” against Covid-19, according to the city state’s Ministry of Health. Minimum protection is defined by the ministry as receiving at least three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax vaccines, or four doses of the Sinovac vaccine. It said in response to queries on Covid booster take-up rates that just 28 per cent of children aged five to 11 had received the number of doses required to achieve... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3218956/most-young-children-singapore-lack-minimum-protection-against-covid-infection-cases-rise https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3218956/most-young-children-singapore-lack-minimum-protection-against-covid-infection-cases-rise Mon, 01 May 2023 01:35:13 +0000 The Chinese health authority has warned of an “upward trend” in Covid-19 infections in the week before the start of the extended Labour Day holiday. However, medical experts have said that they believe the immunity provided by previous infections and vaccination will protect most of the population from developing severe symptoms. There were 6,752 positive PCR tests recorded on April 27, up from 2,661 infections the previous Thursday, according to the latest data released by the China Centres for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3218935/chinese-covid-rates-were-rising-run-labour-day-holiday https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3218935/chinese-covid-rates-were-rising-run-labour-day-holiday Sun, 30 Apr 2023 14:00:22 +0000 China should do away with mandatory mask wearing in most places despite the risk of an outbreak of Covid-19 cases caused by the highly transmissible XBB Omicron subvariant, according to one of the country’s top respiratory disease experts. Zhong Nanshan told a seminar at his research institution Guangzhou Lab on Friday there could be a new wave of infections in China but it would probably be limited in scale at the local level. Zhong also said mask wearing should be scrapped in general from... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3215756/covid-19-china-time-limit-mask-mandates-respiratory-expert-zhong-nanshan-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3215756/covid-19-china-time-limit-mask-mandates-respiratory-expert-zhong-nanshan-says Mon, 03 Apr 2023 02:00:21 +0000 China could have a six-month window to roll out home-grown mRNA Covid-19 vaccines and antiviral treatments, but experts are concerned that momentum could falter. The massive winter outbreak – which affected 80 per cent of the population – began to stabilise in late January, according to the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, which has reported 3,000 to 8,000 daily cases in the past two weeks. Experts say another wave is unlikely for at least six months – and predict it will be... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3215528/how-chinas-covid-19-self-reliance-medical-goal-could-lose-momentum-cases-dwindle https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3215528/how-chinas-covid-19-self-reliance-medical-goal-could-lose-momentum-cases-dwindle Sun, 02 Apr 2023 04:00:15 +0000 China has reported its first case of a patient infected with two Omicron subvariants of the coronavirus at the same time. In a paper released on Friday, the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said the patient was a 67-year-old woman living in Yunyang county, Chongqing. The woman tested positive in two samples for a virus that contained features of subvariants BA.5.2.48 and BF.7.14, according to the paper on China CDC Weekly. BA.5.2.48 is responsible for more than 90 per cent of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3214021/coronavirus-china-reports-first-case-coinfection-two-omicron-subvariants https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3214021/coronavirus-china-reports-first-case-coinfection-two-omicron-subvariants Sat, 18 Mar 2023 11:25:00 +0000 China paid roughly US$2 a dose for its main Covid-19 vaccines and spent 150 billion yuan (US$21.5 billion) inoculating its population, according to cost details released for the first time. In a statement on Thursday, the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA), which oversees the state health insurance fund, said the inactivated vaccines – the ones most widely used in China – cost 16 yuan per dose on average. Most of the shots were made by state-owned Sinopharm and private pharma... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3213098/how-much-did-china-pay-vaccinate-its-population-against-covid-19-bill https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3213098/how-much-did-china-pay-vaccinate-its-population-against-covid-19-bill Fri, 10 Mar 2023 10:00:17 +0000 Three doses of inactivated Covid-19 vaccine produce a lower level of neutralising antibodies against two Omicron variants of the virus that causes the disease than two doses, according to Chinese scientists. The finding highlighted the importance of considering a phenomenon called immune imprinting in vaccine design, the researchers said. Separately, immune imprinting has also been at the centre of a debate in the United States as it considers simplifying its vaccination programme. Immune... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3208939/chinese-scientists-find-immune-imprinting-makes-covid-19-booster-shots-less-effective https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3208939/chinese-scientists-find-immune-imprinting-makes-covid-19-booster-shots-less-effective Fri, 03 Feb 2023 22:00:11 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping has signalled Beijing will level up ties with Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries in an address to leaders in the region, an area where Chinese influence is already mounting. During the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Summit on Tuesday, Xi said China had been working to take the China-LAC relationship into a “new era”. This year, the annual summit is being held in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires. Xi’s video address to the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3207938/xi-jinping-tells-latin-american-caribbean-nations-china-will-take-ties-new-era-influence-concerns https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3207938/xi-jinping-tells-latin-american-caribbean-nations-china-will-take-ties-new-era-influence-concerns Wed, 25 Jan 2023 07:00:26 +0000 Chinese drug maker Sinopharm said its mRNA vaccine, which targets the Omicron variant of Covid-19, has been approved for clinical trials, with facilities ready to produce up to 2 billion jabs a year. On Friday, the company posted on social media platform WeChat that its messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine had received approval the previous day from the National Medical Products Administration of China to begin trials. China’s top Covid official confirms cases at ‘low level’ ahead of Lunar... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3207596/covid-19-chinas-sinopharm-mrna-vaccine-approved-clinical-trials https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3207596/covid-19-chinas-sinopharm-mrna-vaccine-approved-clinical-trials Fri, 20 Jan 2023 10:52:04 +0000 At a checkpoint on China’s southern frontier with Myanmar, shuttered stores advertising the region’s famed jade jewellery appear abandoned, driven out of business by a pandemic-induced closure of the border. The city of Ruili is slowly creaking back to life as China ditches its zero-tolerance Covid strategy after years of strict lockdowns and other gruelling restrictions. An absence of cross-border travel has haunted the trade-dependent city since April 2020, when the flow of goods and people... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3206913/coronavirus-china-myanmar-border-towns-eye-revival-after-covid https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3206913/coronavirus-china-myanmar-border-towns-eye-revival-after-covid Sun, 15 Jan 2023 16:59:08 +0000 China has not delayed foreign vaccine imports other than for commercial reasons, its zero-Covid policy reversal was well planned and its mortality statistics are accurate and not meant to hide the extent of the problem, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Friday. After China’s unexpected policy turnaround last month, large numbers of Chinese have fallen sick, straining hospitals and raising concern in foreign countries and at the UN that new coronavirus variants could spread from the country. “The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3206807/chinas-covid-response-well-planned-open-and-transparent-senior-us-based-diplomat-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3206807/chinas-covid-response-well-planned-open-and-transparent-senior-us-based-diplomat-says Fri, 13 Jan 2023 23:30:18 +0000 China has officially moved away from its “zero-Covid” policy. Perhaps no event has been as warmly welcomed by its people since perhaps Deng Xiaoping’s open-door policy in 1978. Many people were caught by surprise with China’s abrupt reversal to what the rest of the world calls “living with the virus”. It isn’t just the 180-degree pivot to normality that caught everyone off guard, it is also the breakneck speed with which it happened. One day China had thousands of test centres, quarantine on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3206516/ending-zero-covid-policy-will-bring-pain-put-china-road-normality https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3206516/ending-zero-covid-policy-will-bring-pain-put-china-road-normality Thu, 12 Jan 2023 22:30:13 +0000 Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group, the exclusive China distributor of German firm BioNTech’s mRNA Covid-19 vaccine, said it has received more than 10,000 enquiries through its online booking service from people wanting to travel from mainland China to Hong Kong to receive the Omicron-focused shot. Long queues of mainland Chinese nationals looking to receive the mRNA vaccine have been seen outside Hong Kong clinics this week. The border between the city and mainland China was opened at the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/companies/article/3206455/shanghai-fosun-sees-surge-enquiries-mainland-chinese-looking-book-omicron-focused-biontech-shot-hong https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/companies/article/3206455/shanghai-fosun-sees-surge-enquiries-mainland-chinese-looking-book-omicron-focused-biontech-shot-hong Wed, 11 Jan 2023 23:30:09 +0000 In the past two days, one local government after another has announced it has already passed the peak of Covid-19 infections, and estimated daily new case numbers would start to decline. Given its transmissibility, it is not surprising the virus swept through the population in less than a month after China relaxed Covid restrictions. Chinese state media said earlier the basic reproduction number (R0) of the Omicron strains circulating in China was between 10 and 18, meaning without intervention... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3206304/chinese-officials-say-covid-peak-has-passed-many-places-arent-so-open-about-death-toll https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3206304/chinese-officials-say-covid-peak-has-passed-many-places-arent-so-open-about-death-toll Tue, 10 Jan 2023 12:15:09 +0000 The greatest people movement on Earth, on hold for the past three years, is resuming this Lunar New Year. In particular, the migration of people from mainland China’s urban to rural areas is likely to represent a big portion of Chinese travel during the festive period, whether domestically or internationally. While long-anticipated family reunions should be joyous occasions, such travel also poses unprecedented health risks for millions in a country where many rural senior citizens are... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3205877/how-china-can-prevent-covid-19-surge-among-its-rural-elderly-lunar-new-year https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3205877/how-china-can-prevent-covid-19-surge-among-its-rural-elderly-lunar-new-year Tue, 10 Jan 2023 08:00:13 +0000 The top adviser shaping China’s coronavirus response insists winter was the best time for the country to reopen from zero-Covid when considering vaccination uptake and waning immunity, according to his interview with state broadcaster CCTV. Liang Wannian, the leader of the Covid-19 expert response team under the National Health Commission, acknowledged that the opening-up had harmed the elderly population in China, causing many deaths and severe cases, because the virus had spread too widely and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3206091/coronavirus-there-was-no-better-time-reopen-china-after-zero-covid-winter-says-top-pandemic-adviser https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3206091/coronavirus-there-was-no-better-time-reopen-china-after-zero-covid-winter-says-top-pandemic-adviser Mon, 09 Jan 2023 09:00:12 +0000 China said it has boosted the effectiveness of home-grown Covid-19 vaccines, indicating the country is unlikely to approve foreign jab imports for its own citizens. “Practice has proven that the vaccines in our country are safe and effective,” National Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng told foreign ambassadors in Beijing. “We also believe that China’s vaccines can protect the health of the Chinese people as well as people in some other countries.” This comes as Beijing faces mounting calls... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3205956/chinas-covid-vaccines-can-protect-chinese-people-why-foreign-mrna-jab-imports-look-unlikely-beijing https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3205956/chinas-covid-vaccines-can-protect-chinese-people-why-foreign-mrna-jab-imports-look-unlikely-beijing Sat, 07 Jan 2023 11:29:46 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. I refer to the letter, “China should buy West’s mRNA shots” (January 4). The World Health Organization has said trials showed two doses of Sinovac vaccine having a 51 per cent protection rate... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/letters/article/3205851/reopening-china-should-provide-more-reliable-covid-data https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/letters/article/3205851/reopening-china-should-provide-more-reliable-covid-data Sat, 07 Jan 2023 06:30:15 +0000 China’s CanSino Biologics has entered “test production phase” for its Covid-19 mRNA booster vaccine, the company said in a post on its social media account. The vaccine, known as CS-2034, targets new Omicron variants of the coronavirus – which are responsible for the vast majority of infections sweeping across China since the country began dismantling strict Covid-19 curbs last month. China has so far relied on nine domestically developed Covid vaccines approved for use, including inactivated... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3205942/china-made-mrna-covid-vaccine-targeting-omicron-starts-trial-production-aims-100-million-doses-first https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3205942/china-made-mrna-covid-vaccine-targeting-omicron-starts-trial-production-aims-100-million-doses-first Sat, 07 Jan 2023 04:53:21 +0000 The European Union has offered free Covid-19 vaccines to China, the EU executive said on Tuesday, as infections surged following Beijing’s relaxation of its “zero-Covid” policies. China has not yet responded to the offer, a spokesperson for the European Commission told journalists at a regular briefing. He did not specify the amount of vaccines the EU was offering or their manufacturers. “In view of the Covid situation in China, [Health] Commissioner Stella Kyriakides has reached out to her... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3205472/eu-offers-china-free-covid-19-vaccines-infections-surge https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3205472/eu-offers-china-free-covid-19-vaccines-infections-surge Tue, 03 Jan 2023 15:30:10 +0000 Leading scientists advising the World Health Organization said they wanted a “more realistic picture” about the Covid-19 situation from China’s top experts at a key meeting on Tuesday as worries grow about the rapid spread of the virus. The WHO has invited Chinese scientists to a virtual closed meeting with its technical advisory group on viral evolution on Tuesday, to present data on which variants are circulating in the country. It is not open to the public or media. China lifted its... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3205470/who-scientists-call-realistic-china-covid-data-key-meeting-amid-worries-over-spread https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3205470/who-scientists-call-realistic-china-covid-data-key-meeting-amid-worries-over-spread Tue, 03 Jan 2023 14:37:10 +0000 As the coronavirus sweeps through China after it abandoned its zero-Covid policy, there are fears that a new variant of concern could emerge. But despite China’s low immunity and 1.4 billion population, some health experts believe a more severe version of the virus is unlikely to appear – though they say it is critical to stay vigilant and closely monitor the situation. When Sars-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, replicates during an infection it sometimes changes, and when there are... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3204883/covid-19-ripping-through-china-could-new-variant-concern-emerge https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3204883/covid-19-ripping-through-china-could-new-variant-concern-emerge Thu, 29 Dec 2022 06:00:14 +0000 Chinese residents have turned to the black market for generic Covid-19 drugs, as an unprecedented pandemic outbreak ramps up demand for limited supplies of approved antivirals. China approved two Covid-19 antivirals this year – Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Azvudine, an HIV drug from Chinese firm Genuine Biotech. But both are only available in certain hospitals. Their limited supply and steep price have driven many Chinese to opt for cheaper but illegally imported generic drugs from India. Topics like... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3204617/chinese-turn-black-market-generic-indian-covid-19-drugs-surge-sweeps-nation https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3204617/chinese-turn-black-market-generic-indian-covid-19-drugs-surge-sweeps-nation Mon, 26 Dec 2022 14:05:11 +0000 Hong Kong must ensure it can handle a possible spike in Covid-19 cases when it fully reopens its border with mainland China, health experts have warned, while the city’s chief executive has pledged that travel will return in a safe and gradual manner. Medical experts on Monday called on authorities to secure enough supply of fever medication and Covid-19 jabs. China’s National Health Commission announced that the mainland would reopen its borders and abandon quarantine measures on January 8 as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3204578/hong-kong-hospital-patients-left-waiting-8-hours-or-more-boxing-day-health-expert-calls-stock-covid https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3204578/hong-kong-hospital-patients-left-waiting-8-hours-or-more-boxing-day-health-expert-calls-stock-covid Mon, 26 Dec 2022 07:22:07 +0000 China has sent hundreds of healthcare workers, some specialising in critical care, to the capital Beijing to ease the burden at heavily strained hospitals amid a tsunami of infections. At least 500 doctors and nurses from Shandong province in eastern China and dozens from neighbouring Jiangsu have been sent to hospitals across the city – despite manpower shortages in their home hospitals – to help battle the worst Covid-19 wave Beijing has seen in the past three years. Medical teams have been... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3204293/amid-chinas-coronavirus-crisis-beijing-draws-doctors-and-staff-provinces-ease-overwhelmed-hospitals https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3204293/amid-chinas-coronavirus-crisis-beijing-draws-doctors-and-staff-provinces-ease-overwhelmed-hospitals Thu, 22 Dec 2022 22:00:11 +0000 Following its sudden withdrawal of strict Covid-19 containment measures, the Chinese government has no choice but to import mRNA vaccines and antiviral medications if it hopes to limit a looming surge in Covid-19-related deaths, according to two US-based experts. Without lockdowns or other mitigation measures, and in the absence of mRNA vaccines, China can expect as many as 500,000 Covid-related deaths by April of next year, said Ali Mokdad, a professor at the University of Washington’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3204204/china-must-import-mrna-vaccines-stop-covid-19-disaster-us-health-experts-say https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3204204/china-must-import-mrna-vaccines-stop-covid-19-disaster-us-health-experts-say Thu, 22 Dec 2022 07:00:10 +0000 German expatriates will be the initial recipients of the first foreign-made Covid-19 vaccine to be delivered to China. A spokesperson for the German government said a batch of BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines is on its way to China. No other details were available on the timing and size of the delivery, but Berlin is pushing for non-German foreigners in the country to be allowed access to the shot if they want it. China agreed to allow the 20,000 German nationals in China to get the shot following a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3204207/china-accepts-first-foreign-covid-19-vaccines-deal-germany https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3204207/china-accepts-first-foreign-covid-19-vaccines-deal-germany Thu, 22 Dec 2022 04:07:06 +0000 The megacity of Chongqing in southwestern China is asking people with mild Covid-19 symptoms or no symptoms at all to work as usual as case numbers surge in the aftermath of Beijing’s policy pivot. The announcement came a day after the eastern province of Zhejiang – a major economic hub in China – said those with no symptoms could “continue to work, if need be, if they took requisite personal protections”. The big step towards living with Covid-19 came as China’s authorities suddenly stopped... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3203830/coronavirus-after-chinas-pandemic-backflip-megacity-urges-people-mild-symptoms-keep-turning-work https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3203830/coronavirus-after-chinas-pandemic-backflip-megacity-urges-people-mild-symptoms-keep-turning-work Mon, 19 Dec 2022 08:56:01 +0000 Macau is best known for its casinos but now, for some Chinese, its big attraction is the BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. The mRNA vaccine is widely used in Hong Kong, Macau and around the world but is not approved for use in mainland China. But last month Macau’s Covid-19 Infection Response Coordination Centre announced that it was lifting restrictions on vaccinations for short-stay visitors. And since then, the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) Hospital – the only vaccination site... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3203625/coronavirus-cases-surge-mainland-chinese-head-macau-get-mrna-vaccine-unavailable-home https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3203625/coronavirus-cases-surge-mainland-chinese-head-macau-get-mrna-vaccine-unavailable-home Sat, 17 Dec 2022 04:00:10 +0000