China ramps up vaccinations, but uneven rollout leaves borders closed

Medical workers inoculate students with the vaccine against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) at a university in Qingdao, Shandong province, China

China has tripled its daily Covid-19 vaccine rollout in June, inoculating 44% of its population with at least one dose, but its health experts warn against a quick border reopening, citing an uneven rollout and the low rate of full vaccinations. China rolled out 17.3 million doses per day in June on average, up sharply from 4.8 million in April, as it expanded the list of approved vaccines to seven by adding three more locally-developed shots, and continued to boost production. But the rollout has been uneven. By the first week of June, major cities of Beijing and Shanghai fully inoculated nearly 70% and 50% of their residents respectively, but the rate in Guangdong and Shandong provinces remained below 20%.