[China controlled its coronavirus outbreak earlier than most countries, and it began mass vaccination months ahead of the United States. But recently, Chinese health experts have been warning the country might fall behind in the vaccination rollout because of the lower efficacy rates of China’s vaccines and limited supplies of the shots compared with the massive population.]
By Eva Dou
The Chinese Embassy in Washington
said in an online notice late last week that Pfizer-BioNTech,
Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine records can be submitted as part of
an application for a coronavirus QR “health code” — China’s version of a vaccine passport and a requirement to enter the
country.
Previously, China said it would
facilitate entry only for those who have received Chinese vaccines, drawing
backlash in countries where they aren’t available. No foreign coronavirus
vaccine has yet been approved for use within China.
The new consideration of Western
vaccines reflects China’s efforts to open up again as the pandemic wanes in
some parts of the world and countries consider types of vaccine passports that can ease a return to
international travel.
“It’s a step in the right
direction,” said James Zimmerman, a Beijing-based partner of international law
firm Perkins Coie and a former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in
China.
“It’s very important for
international travel to restart as soon as possible for business, tourism and
education,” he said. “U.S. colleges and universities stand to have another lost
year if something isn’t worked out soon.”
[Effectiveness
of Chinese vaccines ‘not high’ and needs improvement, top health official says]
Travel to China remains limited to
those deemed to be making essential trips, such as to resume work or visit sick
relatives.
The Chinese Embassy stopped short
of recommending American travelers get Western vaccines but said they should
follow the injection schedule if they got them.
“The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines
need two doses, and the J&J vaccine needs one dose,” the embassy said in a
Chinese-language online notice dated April 16. “If those coming to China choose
to get vaccinated, they should arrange their trip after they have completed the
required number of inoculations.”
The embassy said U.S. coronavirus
vaccination records could be used to support an application for the health code
if the traveler’s antibody test comes back inconclusive.
China controlled its coronavirus
outbreak earlier than most countries, and it began mass vaccination months
ahead of the United States. But recently, Chinese health experts have been
warning the country might fall behind in the vaccination rollout because of the
lower efficacy rates of China’s vaccines and limited supplies of the shots
compared with the massive population.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that China was planning to approve its
first foreign coronavirus vaccine before July.
An employee who answered the phone
at China’s consulate in Chicago on Monday said that vaccination was not a
requirement for entry into China. Those who have been vaccinated would have
that information recorded in their health QR code, she said. The Chinese
Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
[China’s
vaccine diplomacy stumbles as clinical trial data remains absent]
To enter China now under pandemic
measures, a traveler needs to test negative on two types of coronavirus tests:
one for genetic material of the virus, and another for IgM antibodies that the
body produces in the first weeks after infection.
But a recent vaccination can also
produce a positive result on the antibody test, the Chinese Embassy said in the
online notice.
Those who received an inconclusive
positive IgM antibody test can still obtain a health QR code if they’ve
received a Chinese vaccine, according to the new guidelines. If they received
the vaccines from Johnson & Johnson, Moderna or Pfizer with partner BioNTech,
they can get a code with a little more hassle, by providing their vaccination
record and taking a second type of antibody test that scans for the N protein instead of the S protein.
Unvaccinated travelers who test
positive on the antibody test face a longer string of tests to prove they are
not infected.
Separate from the health QR code,
travelers must apply for a visa in a process that has been tightened in the
pandemic. Upon arrival in China, they are required to undergo two weeks of
quarantine at an official facility, followed by a week of home quarantine.
[China
had a head start on coronavirus vaccinations. It’s now falling behind the West.]
China has been an early proponent
of vaccine passports, or certificates that allow governments to verify that an
international traveler has been vaccinated. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said
last month that China hoped to negotiate mutual recognition of its
vaccines with other countries to speed the return of international travel.
But even as they cracked open the
door for more Western visitors, Chinese authorities expressed concern over the
burgeoning number of fake vaccination cards available for purchase in
the United States. In announcing the new measures on Friday, the Chinese
Consulate in Los Angeles warned
applicants against falsifying vaccination cards.
“The consulate . . . will review the vaccination certification, and if
necessary, contact the department that issued the certification to confirm,” it
said.
The embassy in Washington echoed
the sentiment: “Where the report is untrue, or the vaccination certificate or
test report has been falsified, a health code will not be issued. All the
resulting consequences will be borne by the parties themselves.”
Pei Lin Wu in Taipei, Taiwan,
contributed to this report.
Read more
Effectiveness
of Chinese vaccines ‘not high’ and needs improvement, top health official says
China’s
vaccine diplomacy stumbles as clinical trial data remains absent
China
had a head start on coronavirus vaccinations. It’s now falling behind the West.
