Chinese top respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan said on Thursday that, in theory, China has built a certain level of herd immunity as more than 83 percent of the country's population has been vaccinated.
He made the remarks at a forum in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province.
Herd immunity could be reached when a certain amount of the population gets vaccinated, Zhong explained, calling for more Chinese residents to take booster shots.
China kicked off its vaccination program starting with high-risk groups in December, 2020.
Data released by the National Health Commission show that more than 1.2 billion people on the Chinese mainland have been fully vaccinated as of December 28, 2021, accounting for more than 85.6 percent of the country's population.