MINSK, 31 May (BelTA) – The COVID-19 vaccination of Chinese citizens began in Minsk on 31 May. Vaccine shots are being given at Minsk Student Polyclinic No.33, BelTA has learned.
In total, about 3,700 Chinese citizens are to get a jab in Minsk, of who 90% are students and 10% are company employees. Everyone will be given a certificate of vaccination. All in all, 4,550 Chinese citizens who live or study in Belarus will be vaccinated.
According to Deputy Healthcare Minister – Chief Sanitary Inspector of Belarus Aleksandr Tarasenko, a vaccination schedule for Chinese nationals will be drawn up together with regional medical institutions.
The deputy minister expressed confidence that the experience in providing medical care gained by the PRC and Belarus will help to improve the situation in the near future. “The vaccine is a powerful tool to prevent the coronavirus infection. The experience of certain countries shows that getting the vaccination rate higher than 60% would help ensure the coronavirus does not come back. The Healthcare Ministry aims to vaccinate at least 60% of the population throughout the year. We cooperate with the Russian Federation in terms of supply and production of the Sputnik V vaccine. The Sinopharm vaccine will undoubtedly be a great boost to our inoculation campaign,” the deputy minister said.
According to Chinese Ambassador to Belarus Xie Xiaoyong, since the outbreak of the epidemic, the Chinese government has been taking action to protect the health of all Chinese citizens living abroad. Chinese embassies and consulates have been instructed to provide all the necessary assistance to all Chinese nationals affected by the coronavirus. The Chinese embassy is closely working with the Healthcare Ministry of Belarus to support its ongoing vaccination efforts. “As a result, the Belarusian friends agreed to include all Chinese citizens in Belarus in their national vaccination plan,” he said.
“I hope and believe that every Chinese citizen in Belarus will be covered by the inoculation program. However, after getting a shot, they should not drop their guard and should strictly observe all the necessary health and safety measures,” the ambassador said. According to him, the safety and efficacy of the Chinese vaccine has already been confirmed in practice both in China and abroad. In addition, this vaccine is recognized by the WHO.
Since the outbreak of the epidemic, China and Belarus have been supporting each other and providing mutual humanitarian aid. In particular, the Chinese government twice sent its vaccines to Belarus. “Such strong mutual assistance in this situation is a testimony to the high level of the China-Belarus relations, as well as the strong friendship between the peoples of the two countries,” Xie Xiaoyong said.
