China administers 1 billion COVID vaccine doses

China has administered more than a billion doses of coronavirus vaccines, the country’s health authority said on Sunday. This figure accounts for more than a third of the shots given across the world.

While it remains unclear what percentage of the country’s nearly 1.4 billion people have been inoculated, authorities have set a target of fully vaccinating 40% of the population by the end of June.

China’s one billion doses landmark was crossed soon after the 2.5 billion milestone was surpassed globally on Friday.

After a shaky start to its inoculation campaign, China is pushing for a more aggressive vaccination strategy. Different measures, like free vaccines or special perks, have been ordered to encourage more residents to take the shot.

Some residents have received shopping coupons in Beijing, while authorities in the central Anhui province have given free eggs as part of the vaccination drive.