Weekend Long Read: Why China’s Seniors Hesitate to Get Vaccinated

A low vaccination rate among senior citizens is not just a scientific problem — more significantly, it is a social problem.

According to data released by China’s National Health Commission, among people over the age of 60, close to 42 million have yet to receive any Covid-19 vaccine. More than 100 million have not taken a booster shot.

To make matters worse, among China’s senior citizens, the vaccination rates for the first, second or third doses of the Covid-19 vaccine fall as their ages increase. The percentage of seniors who have had their first vaccine dose is 88.8% for those in their 60s, 86.1% for those in their 70s and 58.8% for those in their 80s.