By Staff Reporters

The National Health Commission (NHC), China's top health authority, stressed the basic principles for the inoculation against COVID-19 should be "informed, consented and voluntary."

The NHC released the statement because some local governments have issued strict rules to prohibit residents who haven't been vaccinated against COVID-19 from entering some public venues, such as shopping malls and hospitals.

With vaccination as a means of prevention and control against the coronavirus, a number of nations are successfully rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine. At the same time, people need to stick to the current public health and social prevention and control measures.

According to China's Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, people without contraindications who are within the acceptable age to receive the vaccine, should be vaccinated as soon as possible.

The NHC stressed that the commission has rectified such mandatory vaccination work and issued further guidance. China's top health authority has always attached great importance to the basic principles for inoculation. In a press conference held on April 11, 2021, the NHC emphasized that China encourages voluntary COVID-19 vaccinations.

According to NHC spokesperson Mi Feng, China has accelerated COVID-19 vaccine rollouts among priority populations, as well as in key regions and cities, and demanded rectification of compulsory COVID-19 vaccination in some places in the country. Over 1.5 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in China as of July 22, the NHC announced.

Source: Xinhua