The EU is offering free Covid-19 vaccines to China to help Beijing contain the disease outbreak following its decision to end restrictions linked to the national pandemic.
The offer was made in the days before a meeting of EU health ministry officials on Tuesday, a European Commission official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The initiative is part of health commissioner Stella Kyriakides’ efforts to manage Europe’s response to the prospect of a wave of infections after Beijing rejected its so-called “zero Covid” policy.
“Commissioner Kyriakides has contacted his Chinese counterpart to offer solidarity and support, including public health expertise as well as through the donation of variant-adapted EU vaccines,” one official said. Beijing has not yet responded to the offer, the person added.
China has relied on domestically produced Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines and has yet to deploy western vaccines using mRNA technology on a large scale. The World Health Organization on December 21 said that China’s current vaccination coverage is insufficient.
The domestic vaccine requires three doses to prevent severe disease in vulnerable people.
Two doses only provide 50 percent protection for people over the age of 60, Dr. Mike Ryan, the WHO’s head of health emergencies, told a news conference.
“This is simply not adequate protection in a population similar to the population of China. In a large population, with many people in vulnerable situations, with such coverage, we need to focus on vaccination.
Only 40 percent over 80 have three doses, according to WHO data.
In contrast, in the EU, 83 percent of the adult population has been fully vaccinated and more than 1.7bn doses have been delivered. Contracts have been concluded with eight vaccine developers, providing 4.2bn doses.
However, EU member states have excess stocks due to large vaccine orders under long-term contracts with manufacturers. It could be sent to China, EU officials said.
Kyriakides is seeking meetings with pharmaceutical companies to set up contracts in the next few weeks after complaints from member states that they are spending money on falsified medicines.
Meanwhile, some EU countries have insisted that travelers arriving from China after January 8, when the ban is lifted, must provide proof of a negative Covid test or vaccination status.
France, Spain and Italy have all said they will control it for fear of spreading a new, as-yet-unknown variant. However, Kyriakides called for coordinated action. Member state officials last week chose not to call for China’s special measures because the coronavirus is now endemic in the EU. They met again on Tuesday and there was a meeting of the Integrated Political Crisis Response emergency mechanism on Wednesday.
China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday said the country does not need the European vaccine, as it “strengthens the clinical efficacy” of the domestic jabs “a lot”.
“China’s epidemic prevention and control situation is on a predictable and controlled path,” foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning said.
China’s mission to the EU confirmed on Sunday that the country has good vaccination coverage. “More than 3.4bn doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in mainland China, with more than 90 percent of the population fully vaccinated and more than 92 percent of the population receiving at least one dose,” he said.
It said Chinese tourists did not pose a threat, pointing out that the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control considers Covid-19 screening and other measures for travelers from China “unfair”.
“Tourist destinations around the world can’t wait to welcome Chinese tourists because of the search for cross-border travel in China,” China’s mission to the EU added.
Additional reporting by Ryan McMorrow in Beijing