Chinese health authorities said they will determine when to administer booster shots for COVID-19 based on analysis of early vaccinated groups to combat the threat of mutant strains, which Guangzhou and Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province have been experiencing in the latest outbreak.
Shao Yiming, a leading physician and immunologist from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Sunday that data from people vaccinated six months ago is now being analyzed, and preliminary results showed that the antibody levels for about half of them are still good.
"With the support of scientific data, we will determine when people who have been vaccinated for a long time should be immunized with a booster injection," he said.
Experts said the priority for China is to complete the initial vaccination and build up an immune barrier as soon as possible.
Shao's comments came in response to concerns that the antibodies of people inoculated during China's first batch of vaccination will remain effective six months after they received injections and whether they need to be re-vaccinated, especially as the world is faced with threats of coronavirus mutation.