74% of Beijing Health Officials "Do Not Want to Get Vaccinated"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Public health officials in China have shown the lowest willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 4th, a survey conducted by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that less than 74% of Beijing CDC employees responded that they would get the COVID-19 vaccine.

In other regions such as Shandong Province, Sichuan Province, and Hubei Province, the response rate was close to 90%. A CDC official involved in the study said, "The higher the education level of the employees, the higher the rate of responses indicating they would not get vaccinated."

According to SCMP, CDC employees are a key vaccination target group due to their high risk of infection. The research team emphasized, "The government should provide COVID-19 vaccine-related information to CDC employees and increase their understanding of vaccination."

In this survey conducted last May to June among 3,000 public health officials across China, most respondents were aware of the risk of COVID-19 infection and expressed significant concern about infection, SCMP reported.

They also understood the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine and viewed it as a means to stop the pandemic. The research team said, "We do not understand why CDC employees hesitate to get vaccinated despite these responses," adding, "It seems they believe their risk of contracting COVID-19 is lower than that of others."

Meanwhile, Professor Zhong Nanshan, an expert at the National Health Commission of China, announced on the 1st that "40% of the adult population will be vaccinated by July."