Beijing can take a lead in vaccination drive

Around 6.8 million Beijing residents had received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine by noon on Monday, including the 3.56 million people who had received the second shot.

These numbers are significant given that vaccines are an effective way of controlling the spread of the novel coronavirus. Being a bustling metropolis, Beijing cannot afford to let its guard down. Therefore, the number of people the health authorities have vaccinated within weeks shows Beijing's efficiency in arresting the epidemic and restoring people's confidence.

Such a high number of people could not have been inoculated without the efforts of the municipal government and the cooperation of residents. However, there is room for improvement, as the objective is to achieve herd immunity, which can be reached only after 70-80 percent of the people are vaccinated－and so far only 30 percent of Beijing residents have been inoculated.

In order to realize that goal, the local authorities must create greater awareness about the benefits of vaccination and encourage more people to come forward for inoculation. With more and more people being inoculated, unfounded fears about the vaccine will gradually vanish, prompting skeptics to change their views.

Another piece of good news is that the age group of people who can receive the COVID-19 vaccine is expanding. Earlier, only those aged between 18 and 59 could receive the vaccine, but in the second phase of the vaccination drive, some residents above 60 will also be inoculated. This will further enhance the vaccination rate.

Even though China has largely managed to control the pandemic, there is increasing pressure to check import of cases, as the virus situation remains grim in most other countries. It is therefore urgent and necessary to accelerate the vaccination drive.

Being China's capital, Beijing must and can take a lead in the efforts. It is hoped that Beijing sets a glorious example for other regions to emulate.