Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

LOCAL residents now have the choice to receive a single-dose CanSino COVID-19 vaccine instead of the two-dose vaccines that have already been widely used in the city’s drive for vaccination.

The COVID-19 vaccination site at Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian District started offering the single-dose vaccine to residents Sunday, the day after the vaccine was officially available in the city.

“The readily available supply of the CanSino vaccine is relatively tight at present. Its arrival time, daily supply and distribution to different vaccination sites are subject to the needs of each district,” Lyu Xing, a staffer with the Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said yesterday.

Residents who intend to receive the one-dose vaccine are advised to pay attention to relevant reminders posted on the city’s vaccination booking platforms in real time.

Xu Longchen, a staffer with the Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission, said residents can use the WeChat miniprogram 社康通 (shekangtong) to inquire about which vaccination site is offering the CanSino vaccine and to make an appointment.

Developed by CanSino Biologics and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, the single-dose vaccine is an adenovirus-based viral vector vaccine and received conditional marketing authorization in China in February.

Currently, the vaccine is  also available in Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin municipalities, as well as Zhejiang, Henan, Anhui and Hainan provinces. It has also been approved for use in Pakistan, Mexico, Chile and Hungary.

In another development, three asymptomatic COVID-19 cases earlier reported in Shenzhen were recategorized as symptomatic cases Monday, the health commission announced yesterday.

As of the end of Monday, Shenzhen had reported four confirmed and 12 asymptomatic COVID-19 cases since May 21. All cases were discovered in the routine testing of personnel under quarantine and the screening of related key groups, the health commission said.

Also, starting 8 p.m. yesterday, all Metro riders will be required to present green health codes either on 粤省事 (yueshengshi) miniprogram or on 深i您 (shenainin) miniprogram for Metro rides, Shenzhen Metro Group announced yesterday.

Prior to the new policy, green health codes were only required at the city’s major Metro stations, including Luohu, Buji, Shenzhen North, Futian, Airport East, Zhuzilin and Shekou Port stations.

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