China’s Low Elderly Vaccination Rate Shows Key Vulnerability

(Bloomberg) — Only half of Chinese people who are 80 of older are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, highlighting a key vulnerability as the country grapples with its worst outbreak since Wuhan in 2020 and the prospect of reopening to the world.

About 51% of over 80-year-olds have received two shots and 20% have gotten boosters, health officials told reporters Friday at a briefing in Beijing. While 87.9% of China’s 1.4 billion people have been vaccinated with two shots — a high percentage globally — the numbers decline with age, with the figure dropping to 82% for those between 70 and 79.