A MAINLAND spokesperson yesterday said that Taiwan compatriots on the mainland can apply for free COVID-19 vaccines.

Inoculations are based on the principles of voluntary application and informed consent, said Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, at a press conference.

Zhu said a mass vaccination plan is being carried out on the mainland in an orderly manner, and doses will be prepared for people who meet inoculation requirements, including Taiwan compatriots.

Some Taiwan compatriots in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the coastal city of Xiamen have already been vaccinated free of charge, said Zhu.

China will expand the target population for COVID vaccination to include elderly people aged over 60 years old, a health official said yesterday.

The expansion is due to increasing data from clinical research on vaccines, a growing supply of vaccines, and the need to better control the outbreak, said Wang Bin, an official with the National Health Commission, at a press conference. (Xinhua)