China urges elderly to get COVID jab

Authorities in China are going door to door urging people older than 60 to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but some remain hesitant, citing a fear of side effects. China only counts deaths from pneumonia or respiratory failure in its official COVID-19 toll, a health official said last week.

Experts have forecast 1 to 2 million deaths in China by the end of next year. More than 90% of people in China have been vaccinated but only about two-thirds of those over 80, according to the National Health Commission. China has 191 million people aged 65 and over, according to its 2020 census, a group that on its own would make up the eighth most populous country, ahead of Bangladesh.