CHINA

Two Sessions: China Lawmaker Proposes Tapping State Insurance to Boost Flagging Vaccine Rates

Published: Mar. 12, 2026 9:34 p.m. GMT+8

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A prominent Chinese health official and lawmaker has proposed allowing citizens to use state medical insurance to pay for non-mandatory vaccines to boost the country’s low inoculation rates.

Making the proposal during the 2026 meetings of the National People’s Congress, Liu Xiaoqing, a national lawmaker and deputy director of the Jiangxi Provincial Disease Control and Prevention Bureau, suggested creating a mixed financing model that combines government subsidies with medical insurance funds.

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Liu Xiaoqing proposed letting citizens use state medical insurance for non-mandatory vaccines to raise low inoculation rates in China.
He recommended a mixed financing system combining government subsidies and insurance, amending current laws, and a phased rollout focusing on cost-effective vaccines.
Less than 5% of Chinese seniors get the flu vaccine; investment in such vaccines offers up to 7.9–14 times social benefit but legal and funding barriers persist.

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