Foreign students vaccinated in Wuhan
Pakistani student Muhammad Sultan Irshad got his first shot of COVID-19 vaccine at the campus hospital of Hubei University in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Tuesday. He was one of 12 foreign students at the university who volunteered to get vaccinated that day.
“Today, foreign students and teachers were vaccinated free of charge, based on the needs of prevention and control of COVID-19,” he said.
“The staff members were so kind and served us very gracefully. Around 100 Chinese people were also there for vaccination. I can see the sense of satisfaction on their faces.”
There are 30 international students at the university living in Wuhan, with 15 of them inoculated with a domestically made vaccine by Wednesday, the university said. The vaccination is voluntary.
“China proved its sense of responsibility and tremendous hospitality. The local international community is cordially thankful for this act of professionalism and the way the country ensured our safety and offered protection just like treating their own citizens,” Irshad said.
The local international community is cordially thankful for … the way the country ensured our safety and offered protection just like treating their own citizens.”
Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Pakistani student in Wuhan, Hubei province
Elsewhere in the city, Wuhan University released a notice calling on foreign students to make appointments for COVID-19 vaccination on Tuesday afternoon, with a QR code to scan and a form to fill out online.
About 100 of its 230 foreign students applied within an hour, and family members of some students asked whether they could get vaccinated too. It shows their confidence in the anti-epidemic efforts of the Chinese government and Chinese vaccines, said Xu Hui, vice-president of the university’s School of International Education, adding that vaccinations for foreign students will be organized on Thursday and Friday.
The School of International Education at Wuhan Textile University said it now has 12 foreign students in the city, nine of whom applied for vaccination. Six have been vaccinated. Another inoculation will be organized for the three others, it said.
People aged 18 to 59 in Wuhan have been allowed to apply for COVID-19 vaccine inoculation at designated community health service centers and hospitals since March 12, according to local authorities.
Any foreigner with a passport can apply to get vaccinated in Wuhan, according to a community hospital conducting vaccination.
More than 500,000 people in the city have had their first shot, and about 100,000 have finished two doses, data from the local health commission showed.
Yang Xiaobing, director of the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s infectious disease prevention and control department, told Changjiang Daily that the city has a sufficient supply of COVID-19 vaccines and all service is free.