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China to start opening vaccination program to general public

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/reuters/12/09/healthcare-coronavirus-brazil-vaccine.jpg"/><figcaption>A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a &quot;Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine&quot; sticker and a medical syringe in this illustration taken Oct. 30, 2020. <em>Dado Ruvic, Reuters/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>BEIJING — China plans to start opening its vaccination program to members of the public in southwestern Sichuan province early next year, health officials said, despite the inoculations not yet receiving official approval.</p><p>At least one million people have already received a jab in China after vaccine candidates were approved for &quot;emergency use,&quot; but so far they have been limited to priority groups such as state employees and international students.</p><p>China has 5 coronavirus vaccines in the final stages of development -- but none has received official approval from authorities and the results of late-stage trials have yet to be published.</p><p>A provincial health official told local media that vaccines will be provided to the general public in Sichuan after the Lunar New year holidays in February.</p><div><strong>RELATED STORIES: </strong></div><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/11/26/20/when-and-which-covid-19-vaccines-are-likely-to-be-available-in-asia-pacific">When and which COVID-19 vaccines are likely to be available in Asia Pacific</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/12/02/20/american-study-finds-signs-of-coronavirus-in-us-before-china-outbreak">American study finds signs of coronavirus in US before China outbreak</a></li></ul><p>Officials said Thursday that 118,000 vaccine doses had arrived in the province so far, with plans to inoculate all high-risk groups by February 5 before rolling out the program to the rest of the population.</p><p>They did not specify who developed the vaccines.</p><p>Sichuan is the first province to outline a timeline of its vaccination plans for the general public.</p><p>The coronavirus -- which first emerged in China late last year -- has largely been brought under control in the country, but there have been a series of domestic outbreaks.</p><p>Sichuan has been hit by a small cluster of Covid-19 cases in recent weeks, with one more virus infection reported Friday.<br/><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></p><div><strong>WATCH: From Wuhan, how did COVID-19 spread over the world? | TV Patrol </strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Djw2DpktoW4?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>China has 5 coronavirus vaccines in the final stages of development -- but none has received official approval from authorities and the results of late-stage trials have yet to be published.<br /> </p>

China has 5 coronavirus vaccines in the final stages of development -- but none has received official approval from authorities and the results of late-stage trials have yet to be published.