🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 79 (from laksa001)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa079.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://fortune.com/2022/12/12/china-approves-biontech-pfizer-mrna-covid-vaccine-restrictions/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://fortune.com/2022/12/12/china-approves-biontech-pfizer-mrna-covid-vaccine-restrictions/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/fortune.com\/2022\/12\/12\/china-approves-biontech-pfizer-mrna-covid-vaccine-restrictions\/","crawl_time":1775981107,"first_indexed_time":1670830157,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,fortune!\/2022\/12\/12\/china-approves-biontech-pfizer-mrna-covid-vaccine-restrictions\/ s443","src_root_hash":"13809836321913650279","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"China approves Pfizer\/BioNTech mRNA COVID vaccine—only for foreigners | Fortune","meta_descriptions":["Beijing's uneasy relationship with mRNA vaccines is more relevant as it relaxes COVID restrictions."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Two years after the first countries approved the Pfizer\/BioNTech COVID vaccine for domestic use, China will finally allow the mRNA vaccine to be used domestically—but there’s a catch.\nOn Friday, China confirmed in a press briefing that\nit would let German nationals\nreceive the BioNTech COVID vaccine, which uses mRNA technology, in exchange for German health authorities on Wednesday\napproving China’s Sinovac\njab for Chinese nationals living in Germany.\nThe statement from China’s foreign ministry clarifies an earlier announcement by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his trip to Beijing that BioNTech would\nbe made available\nto foreign nationals in China.\nBut Beijing’s decision to approve the Pfizer\/BioNTech jab for a sliver of China’s population highlights the country’s uneasy relationship with mRNA vaccines and shots developed overseas as Beijing embarks on an exit from its tough COVID-zero policy, which will likely cause a massive outbreak.\nHas China approved mRNA vaccines?\nBioNTech is the first mRNA vaccine—and the first developed overseas—approved for use in mainland China, even if it’s just available to German nationals living there. \nSeveral Chinese companies are developing mRNA vaccines, but none have made it to final approval. In September, Indonesia—not China—became\nthe first country\nto approve a Chinese-developed mRNA vaccine, from pharmaceutical company Walvax.\nFosun Pharmaceuticals, BioNTech’s distribution partner for greater China,\nsecured 100 million\ndoses for the Chinese market in December 2020. Yet Fosun’s applications to use its doses in mainland China are\nstill pending\n, with no indication of when the mRNA vaccine will be approved for widespread use. (The semiautonomous Chinese city of Hong Kong approved BioNTech for use in its vaccination campaigns.)\nChina has largely relied on two vaccines, from Sinovac and\nSinopharm\n, in its vaccination campaign. The two vaccines use an inactivated virus to confer immunity. Studies show that the two vaccines are less effective at preventing infection, severe disease, and death than the BioNTech and\nModerna\nshots, which use mRNA technology.\nSinovac\nand\nSinopharm\nare both developing boosters that specifically target the Omicron variant.\nPublic health officials have\nblamed China’s less-effective vaccines\nfor hindering its ability to smoothly change its COVID policy. “The efficacy of the China‑made vaccines are not at the level of the vaccines that have been used in the United States,” Anthony Fauci, the outgoing White House medical adviser, told the\nWashington Post\non Dec. 2.\nHow many Chinese have been vaccinated?\nThe more pressing problem, in Beijing’s view, is not the effectiveness of its vaccines, but that not enough people are vaccinated. Official data released in early December shows that only 40% of China’s over-80 population has received a booster. Health officials at the time pledged to launch new campaigns to vaccinate China’s elderly, but now the task is especially urgent.\nBeijing announced\nsweeping changes\nto its COVID rules last Wednesday, including letting mild and asymptomatic cases recover at home and limiting lockdowns to individual floors and buildings, rather than whole neighborhoods. A pivot is likely\ngood news for China’s economy\n, dragged down in November by a record COVID outbreak and widespread lockdowns. Chinese consumer sentiment last month fell to levels not seen since early 2020, the start of the pandemic, according to a\nsurvey released Sunday\nby Morning Consult. \nBut relaxed measures could lead to a surge in cases across China. One of the country’s top medical advisers predicted last week that as much as 60% of the country\ncould catch COVID\nin an initial exit wave.\nChinese officials are now reassuring people that an increase in cases is not a cause for concern. State media quoted Zhong Nanshan, the country’s top medical expert, on Friday as saying that Omicron’s death rate is\ncomparable to that of influenza\n. ","attrs_markdown":"Search\n\n[Subscribe for \\$1Subscribe for \\$1](https:\/\/fortune.com\/subscribe\/?itm_source=Site_0_HCL_NAV_CTA_0_2025_ZZ&redirect=%2F2022%2F12%2F12%2Fchina-approves-biontech-pfizer-mrna-covid-vaccine-restrictions%2F)\n\n[Sign in](https:\/\/fortune.com\/signin\/?signin_redirect=%2F2022%2F12%2F12%2Fchina-approves-biontech-pfizer-mrna-covid-vaccine-restrictions%2F)\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/fortune.com\/)\n- [Latest](https:\/\/fortune.com\/section\/latest\/)\n- [Fortune 500](https:\/\/fortune.com\/section\/fortune-500\/)\n- [Finance](https:\/\/fortune.com\/section\/finance\/)\n- [Tech](https:\/\/fortune.com\/section\/tech\/)\n- [Leadership](https:\/\/fortune.com\/section\/leadership\/)\n- [Lifestyle](https:\/\/fortune.com\/section\/lifestyle\/)\n- [Rankings](https:\/\/fortune.com\/ranking\/)\n- [Multimedia](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2022\/12\/12\/china-approves-biontech-pfizer-mrna-covid-vaccine-restrictions\/)\n\n[China](https:\/\/fortune.com\/tag\/china\/)\n\n# China finally approves an mRNA COVID vaccine—but only for some foreigners\n\n![Nicholas Gordon](https:\/\/content.fortune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/placeholder_16x9.jpg)\n\nBy\n\n[Nicholas Gordon](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/nicholas-gordon\/)\n\nNicholas Gordon\n\nAsia Editor\n\n![Nicholas Gordon](https:\/\/content.fortune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/placeholder_16x9.jpg)\n\nBy\n\n[Nicholas Gordon](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/nicholas-gordon\/)\n\nNicholas Gordon\n\nAsia Editor\n\nDecember 12, 2022, 1:56 AM ET\n\nAdd us on\n\n![Woman gets a COVID vaccination in Guizhou province, China](https:\/\/content.fortune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/placeholder_16x9.jpg)\n\nChina has pledged to speed up vaccination for elderly people as it prepares to pivot away from its tough COVID-zero policies.CFOTO\/Future Publishing\/Getty Images\n\nTwo years after the first countries approved the Pfizer\/BioNTech COVID vaccine for domestic use, China will finally allow the mRNA vaccine to be used domestically—but there’s a catch.\n\nOn Friday, China confirmed in a press briefing that [it would let German nationals](https:\/\/www.fmprc.gov.cn\/eng\/xwfw_665399\/s2510_665401\/2511_665403\/202212\/t20221209_10988054.html) receive the BioNTech COVID vaccine, which uses mRNA technology, in exchange for German health authorities on Wednesday [approving China’s Sinovac](https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/germany-allow-sinovac-vaccine-chinese-citizens-only-spiegel-2022-12-07\/) jab for Chinese nationals living in Germany.\n\nThe statement from China’s foreign ministry clarifies an earlier announcement by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his trip to Beijing that BioNTech would [be made available](https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/healthcare-pharmaceuticals\/scholz-secures-agreement-allowing-expats-china-use-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-2022-11-04\/) to foreign nationals in China.\n\nBut Beijing’s decision to approve the Pfizer\/BioNTech jab for a sliver of China’s population highlights the country’s uneasy relationship with mRNA vaccines and shots developed overseas as Beijing embarks on an exit from its tough COVID-zero policy, which will likely cause a massive outbreak.\n\n## **Has China approved mRNA vaccines?**\nBioNTech is the first mRNA vaccine—and the first developed overseas—approved for use in mainland China, even if it’s just available to German nationals living there.\n\nSeveral Chinese companies are developing mRNA vaccines, but none have made it to final approval. In September, Indonesia—not China—became [the first country](https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/science\/article\/3194368\/chinas-first-mrna-covid-19-vaccine-approved-use-indonesia) to approve a Chinese-developed mRNA vaccine, from pharmaceutical company Walvax.\n\nFosun Pharmaceuticals, BioNTech’s distribution partner for greater China, [secured 100 million](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2021\/03\/20\/biontech-covid-vaccine-china-approval-fosun\/) doses for the Chinese market in December 2020. Yet Fosun’s applications to use its doses in mainland China are [still pending](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2021\/12\/14\/biontech-pfizer-fosun-covid-vaccine-china-approval\/), with no indication of when the mRNA vaccine will be approved for widespread use. (The semiautonomous Chinese city of Hong Kong approved BioNTech for use in its vaccination campaigns.)\n\nChina has largely relied on two vaccines, from Sinovac and [Sinopharm](https:\/\/fortune.com\/company\/sinopharm\/), in its vaccination campaign. The two vaccines use an inactivated virus to confer immunity. Studies show that the two vaccines are less effective at preventing infection, severe disease, and death than the BioNTech and [Moderna](https:\/\/fortune.com\/company\/moderna\/) shots, which use mRNA technology.\n\n[Sinovac](https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/science\/article\/3191684\/chinas-sinovac-test-omicron-targeting-vaccines-chile) and [Sinopharm](https:\/\/news.rthk.hk\/rthk\/en\/component\/k2\/1650995-20220531.htm) are both developing boosters that specifically target the Omicron variant.\n\nPublic health officials have [blamed China’s less-effective vaccines](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2022\/12\/02\/anthony-fauci-china-covid-vaccines-less-effective-sinovac-sinopharm\/) for hindering its ability to smoothly change its COVID policy. “The efficacy of the China‑made vaccines are not at the level of the vaccines that have been used in the United States,” Anthony Fauci, the outgoing White House medical adviser, told the *Washington Post* on Dec. 2.\n\n## **How many Chinese have been vaccinated?**\nThe more pressing problem, in Beijing’s view, is not the effectiveness of its vaccines, but that not enough people are vaccinated. Official data released in early December shows that only 40% of China’s over-80 population has received a booster. Health officials at the time pledged to launch new campaigns to vaccinate China’s elderly, but now the task is especially urgent.\n\nBeijing announced [sweeping changes](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2022\/12\/07\/china-covid-restrictions-reopening-economy-recovery\/) to its COVID rules last Wednesday, including letting mild and asymptomatic cases recover at home and limiting lockdowns to individual floors and buildings, rather than whole neighborhoods. A pivot is likely [good news for China’s economy](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2022\/12\/07\/china-covid-restrictions-reopening-economy-recovery\/), dragged down in November by a record COVID outbreak and widespread lockdowns. Chinese consumer sentiment last month fell to levels not seen since early 2020, the start of the pandemic, according to a [survey released Sunday](https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2022-12-12\/china-consumer-sentiment-fell-near-2020-lows-before-lifted-curbs) by Morning Consult.\n\nBut relaxed measures could lead to a surge in cases across China. One of the country’s top medical advisers predicted last week that as much as 60% of the country [could catch COVID](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2022\/12\/08\/china-ends-covid-zero-exit-wave-new-cases-feng-zijian\/) in an initial exit wave.\n\nChinese officials are now reassuring people that an increase in cases is not a cause for concern. State media quoted Zhong Nanshan, the country’s top medical expert, on Friday as saying that Omicron’s death rate is [comparable to that of influenza](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2022\/12\/11\/china-medical-expert-zhong-nanshan-downplays-covid-risks-lockdowns-restrictions-ease\/).\n\nOur new weekly Impact Report newsletter examines how ESG news and trends are shaping the roles and responsibilities of today's executives. [Subscribe here](https:\/\/mynewsletters.fortune.com\/impact-report).\n\nAbout the Author\n\n[![Nicholas Gordon](https:\/\/content.fortune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/placeholder_16x9.jpg)](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/nicholas-gordon\/)\n\nBy [Nicholas Gordon](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/nicholas-gordon\/)Asia Editor\n\nNicholas Gordon is an Asia editor based in Hong Kong, where he helps to drive *Fortune*’s coverage of Asian business and economics news.\n\n[See full bio](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/nicholas-gordon\/)\n\n***\nLatest in\n***\n***\n\n[![Former Citgo Petroleum interim CEO José Pereira was one of the 'Citgo Six' political prisoners held captive in Venezuela for nearly five years.](https:\/\/content.fortune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/placeholder_16x9.jpg)](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2026\/04\/12\/citgo-6-political-prisoner-karma-maduro-venezuelan-oil-rebound-regime-change\/)\n\n[Energy](https:\/\/fortune.com\/section\/energy\/)\n\n[Venezuela](https:\/\/fortune.com\/tag\/venezuela\/)\n\n[Former ‘Citgo 6’ political prisoner sees ‘karma’ in Maduro ouster, but Venezuelan oil won’t rebound until there’s true regime change](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2026\/04\/12\/citgo-6-political-prisoner-karma-maduro-venezuelan-oil-rebound-regime-change\/)\n\nBy [Jordan Blum](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/jordan-blum\/)April 12, 2026\n\n1 hour ago\n\n[![JD Vance leaves Pakistan after marathon talks with Iran end without a deal as Tehran refuses U.S. demand not to develop nuclear weapons](https:\/\/content.fortune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/placeholder_16x9.jpg)](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2026\/04\/11\/jd-vance-pakistan-iran-talks-end-us-demand-nuclear-weapons-development\/)\n\n[Politics](https:\/\/fortune.com\/section\/politics\/)\n\n[Iran](https:\/\/fortune.com\/tag\/iran\/)\n\n[JD Vance leaves Pakistan after marathon talks with Iran end without a deal as Tehran refuses U.S. demand not to develop nuclear weapons](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2026\/04\/11\/jd-vance-pakistan-iran-talks-end-us-demand-nuclear-weapons-development\/)\n\nBy [Munir Ahmed](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/munir-ahmed\/), [E. Eduardo Castillo](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/e-eduardo-castillo\/), [Samy Magdy](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/samy-magdy\/), [Cara Anna](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/cara-anna\/), [Ben Finley](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/ben-finley\/), [Collin Binkley](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/collin-binkley\/) and [The Associated Press](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/associated-press\/)April 11, 2026\n\n5 hours ago\n\n[![Trump downplays talks for ceasefire deal with Iran, claiming military victory. ‘It doesn’t matter. From the standpoint of America, we win’](https:\/\/content.fortune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/placeholder_16x9.jpg)](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2026\/04\/11\/trump-iran-war-ceasefire-talks-deal-military-victory-jd-vance\/)\n\n[Politics](https:\/\/fortune.com\/section\/politics\/)\n\n[Donald Trump](https:\/\/fortune.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/)\n\n[Trump downplays talks for ceasefire deal with Iran, claiming military victory. ‘It doesn’t matter. From the standpoint of America, we win’](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2026\/04\/11\/trump-iran-war-ceasefire-talks-deal-military-victory-jd-vance\/)\n\nBy [The Associated Press](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/associated-press\/)April 11, 2026\n\n9 hours ago\n\n[![Appeals court says national security implications of halting White House ballroom construction must be weighed](https:\/\/content.fortune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/placeholder_16x9.jpg)](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2026\/04\/11\/appeals-court-national-security-white-house-ballroom-construction-halt\/)\n\n[Law](https:\/\/fortune.com\/section\/law\/)\n\n[courts](https:\/\/fortune.com\/tag\/courts\/)\n\n[Appeals court says national security implications of halting White House ballroom construction must be weighed](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2026\/04\/11\/appeals-court-national-security-white-house-ballroom-construction-halt\/)\n\nBy [Michael Kunzelman](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/michael-kunzelman\/), [Ben Finley](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/ben-finley\/) and [The Associated Press](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/associated-press\/)April 11, 2026\n\n9 hours ago\n\n[![‘This is the last warning.’ Iran threatens U.S. warships after they throw down the gauntlet for winner-take-all Strait of Hormuz](https:\/\/content.fortune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/placeholder_16x9.jpg)](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2026\/04\/11\/iran-war-us-warships-strait-of-hormuz-transit-irgc-ceasefir-talks\/)\n\n[Politics](https:\/\/fortune.com\/section\/politics\/)\n\n[Iran](https:\/\/fortune.com\/tag\/iran\/)\n\n[‘This is the last warning.’ Iran threatens U.S. warships after they throw down the gauntlet for winner-take-all Strait of Hormuz](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2026\/04\/11\/iran-war-us-warships-strait-of-hormuz-transit-irgc-ceasefir-talks\/)\n\nBy [Jason Ma](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/jason-ma\/)April 11, 2026\n\n9 hours ago\n\n[![Some communities are enduring unprecedented long waits on federal disaster requests, and Democrat-led states say they’re being denied](https:\/\/content.fortune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/placeholder_16x9.jpg)](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2026\/04\/11\/disaster-declaration-requests-fema-dhs-unprecedented-long-waits-democratic-states-denials\/)\n\n[Politics](https:\/\/fortune.com\/section\/politics\/)\n\n[FEMA](https:\/\/fortune.com\/tag\/fema\/)\n\n[Some communities are enduring unprecedented long waits on federal disaster requests, and Democrat-led states say they’re being denied](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2026\/04\/11\/disaster-declaration-requests-fema-dhs-unprecedented-long-waits-democratic-states-denials\/)\n\nBy [Gabriela Aoun Angueira](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/gabriela-aoun-angueira\/) and [The Associated Press](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/associated-press\/)April 11, 2026\n\n11 hours ago\n\n***\nMost Popular\n***\n***\n\n[!['This is the last warning.' Iran threatens U.S. warships after they throw down the gauntlet for winner-take-all Strait of Hormuz](https:\/\/content.fortune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/placeholder_16x9.jpg)](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2026\/04\/11\/iran-war-us-warships-strait-of-hormuz-transit-irgc-ceasefir-talks\/?itm_source=parsely-api)\n\n[Politics](https:\/\/fortune.com\/section\/politics\/)\n\n['This is the last warning.' 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Editors](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/fortune-editors\/)April 11, 2026\n\n1 day ago\n\n[![Palantir CEO says AI ‘will destroy’ humanities jobs but there will be ‘more than enough jobs’ for people with vocational training](https:\/\/content.fortune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/placeholder_16x9.jpg)](https:\/\/fortune.com\/article\/palantir-ceo-alex-karp-ai-humanities-jobs-vocational-training\/?itm_source=parsely-api)\n\n[Future of Work](https:\/\/fortune.com\/section\/future-of-work\/)\n\n[Palantir CEO says AI ‘will destroy’ humanities jobs but there will be ‘more than enough jobs’ for people with vocational training](https:\/\/fortune.com\/article\/palantir-ceo-alex-karp-ai-humanities-jobs-vocational-training\/?itm_source=parsely-api)\n\nBy [Fortune Editors](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/fortune-editors\/)April 11, 2026\n\n21 hours ago\n\n[![Warren Buffett says 'accumulating great amounts of money' doesn’t achieve greatness—He still lives in a \\$31,500 Nebraska home and 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level'](https:\/\/content.fortune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/placeholder_16x9.jpg)](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2026\/04\/11\/navy-strait-of-hormuz-blockade-us-military-iran-war-mine-clearing\/?itm_source=parsely-api)\n\n[Politics](https:\/\/fortune.com\/section\/politics\/)\n\n[Navy tests Hormuz blockade as expert says U.S. military prepares for round 2 and could degrade Iran's hold over the strait to a 'manageable level'](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2026\/04\/11\/navy-strait-of-hormuz-blockade-us-military-iran-war-mine-clearing\/?itm_source=parsely-api)\n\nBy [Fortune Editors](https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/fortune-editors\/)April 11, 2026\n\n15 hours ago\n\nRankings\n\n- [100 Best Companies](https:\/\/fortune.com\/ranking\/best-companies\/)\n- [Fortune 500](https:\/\/fortune.com\/ranking\/fortune500\/)\n- [Global 500](https:\/\/fortune.com\/ranking\/global500\/)\n- [Fortune 500 Europe](https:\/\/fortune.com\/europe\/ranking\/fortune500-europe\/)\n- [Most Powerful 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All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our [Terms of Use](https:\/\/fortune.com\/terms-of-use\/) and [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/fortune.com\/privacy-policy\/) \\| [CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice](https:\/\/fortune.com\/california-privacy-policy\/#notice) \\| [Do Not Sell\/Share My Personal Information]()  \n FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.\n\n[search by queryly](https:\/\/www.queryly.com\/)\n\n[Advanced Search]()\n\n![close](https:\/\/www.queryly.com\/images\/whitecloseicon.png)","attrs_readable_markdown":"Two years after the first countries approved the Pfizer\/BioNTech COVID vaccine for domestic use, China will finally allow the mRNA vaccine to be used domestically—but there’s a catch.\n\nOn Friday, China confirmed in a press briefing that [it would let German nationals](https:\/\/www.fmprc.gov.cn\/eng\/xwfw_665399\/s2510_665401\/2511_665403\/202212\/t20221209_10988054.html) receive the BioNTech COVID vaccine, which uses mRNA technology, in exchange for German health authorities on Wednesday [approving China’s Sinovac](https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/germany-allow-sinovac-vaccine-chinese-citizens-only-spiegel-2022-12-07\/) jab for Chinese nationals living in Germany.\n\nThe statement from China’s foreign ministry clarifies an earlier announcement by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his trip to Beijing that BioNTech would [be made available](https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/healthcare-pharmaceuticals\/scholz-secures-agreement-allowing-expats-china-use-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-2022-11-04\/) to foreign nationals in China.\n\nBut Beijing’s decision to approve the Pfizer\/BioNTech jab for a sliver of China’s population highlights the country’s uneasy relationship with mRNA vaccines and shots developed overseas as Beijing embarks on an exit from its tough COVID-zero policy, which will likely cause a massive outbreak.\n\n## **Has China approved mRNA vaccines?**\nBioNTech is the first mRNA vaccine—and the first developed overseas—approved for use in mainland China, even if it’s just available to German nationals living there.\n\nSeveral Chinese companies are developing mRNA vaccines, but none have made it to final approval. In September, Indonesia—not China—became [the first country](https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/science\/article\/3194368\/chinas-first-mrna-covid-19-vaccine-approved-use-indonesia) to approve a Chinese-developed mRNA vaccine, from pharmaceutical company Walvax.\n\nFosun Pharmaceuticals, BioNTech’s distribution partner for greater China, [secured 100 million](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2021\/03\/20\/biontech-covid-vaccine-china-approval-fosun\/) doses for the Chinese market in December 2020. Yet Fosun’s applications to use its doses in mainland China are [still pending](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2021\/12\/14\/biontech-pfizer-fosun-covid-vaccine-china-approval\/), with no indication of when the mRNA vaccine will be approved for widespread use. (The semiautonomous Chinese city of Hong Kong approved BioNTech for use in its vaccination campaigns.)\n\nChina has largely relied on two vaccines, from Sinovac and [Sinopharm](https:\/\/fortune.com\/company\/sinopharm\/), in its vaccination campaign. The two vaccines use an inactivated virus to confer immunity. Studies show that the two vaccines are less effective at preventing infection, severe disease, and death than the BioNTech and [Moderna](https:\/\/fortune.com\/company\/moderna\/) shots, which use mRNA technology.\n\n[Sinovac](https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/science\/article\/3191684\/chinas-sinovac-test-omicron-targeting-vaccines-chile) and [Sinopharm](https:\/\/news.rthk.hk\/rthk\/en\/component\/k2\/1650995-20220531.htm) are both developing boosters that specifically target the Omicron variant.\n\nPublic health officials have [blamed China’s less-effective vaccines](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2022\/12\/02\/anthony-fauci-china-covid-vaccines-less-effective-sinovac-sinopharm\/) for hindering its ability to smoothly change its COVID policy. “The efficacy of the China‑made vaccines are not at the level of the vaccines that have been used in the United States,” Anthony Fauci, the outgoing White House medical adviser, told the *Washington Post* on Dec. 2.\n\n## **How many Chinese have been vaccinated?**\nThe more pressing problem, in Beijing’s view, is not the effectiveness of its vaccines, but that not enough people are vaccinated. Official data released in early December shows that only 40% of China’s over-80 population has received a booster. Health officials at the time pledged to launch new campaigns to vaccinate China’s elderly, but now the task is especially urgent.\n\nBeijing announced [sweeping changes](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2022\/12\/07\/china-covid-restrictions-reopening-economy-recovery\/) to its COVID rules last Wednesday, including letting mild and asymptomatic cases recover at home and limiting lockdowns to individual floors and buildings, rather than whole neighborhoods. A pivot is likely [good news for China’s economy](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2022\/12\/07\/china-covid-restrictions-reopening-economy-recovery\/), dragged down in November by a record COVID outbreak and widespread lockdowns. Chinese consumer sentiment last month fell to levels not seen since early 2020, the start of the pandemic, according to a [survey released Sunday](https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2022-12-12\/china-consumer-sentiment-fell-near-2020-lows-before-lifted-curbs) by Morning Consult.\n\nBut relaxed measures could lead to a surge in cases across China. One of the country’s top medical advisers predicted last week that as much as 60% of the country [could catch COVID](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2022\/12\/08\/china-ends-covid-zero-exit-wave-new-cases-feng-zijian\/) in an initial exit wave.\n\nChinese officials are now reassuring people that an increase in cases is not a cause for concern. State media quoted Zhong Nanshan, the country’s top medical expert, on Friday as saying that Omicron’s death rate is [comparable to that of influenza](https:\/\/fortune.com\/2022\/12\/11\/china-medical-expert-zhong-nanshan-downplays-covid-risks-lockdowns-restrictions-ease\/).","meta_canonical":null}

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URL	https://fortune.com/2022/12/12/china-approves-biontech-pfizer-mrna-covid-vaccine-restrictions/
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Meta Title	China approves Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA COVID vaccine—only for foreigners \| Fortune
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Boilerpipe Text	Two years after the first countries approved the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine for domestic use, China will finally allow the mRNA vaccine to be used domestically—but there’s a catch. On Friday, China confirmed in a press briefing that it would let German nationals receive the BioNTech COVID vaccine, which uses mRNA technology, in exchange for German health authorities on Wednesday approving China’s Sinovac jab for Chinese nationals living in Germany. The statement from China’s foreign ministry clarifies an earlier announcement by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his trip to Beijing that BioNTech would be made available to foreign nationals in China. But Beijing’s decision to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech jab for a sliver of China’s population highlights the country’s uneasy relationship with mRNA vaccines and shots developed overseas as Beijing embarks on an exit from its tough COVID-zero policy, which will likely cause a massive outbreak. Has China approved mRNA vaccines? BioNTech is the first mRNA vaccine—and the first developed overseas—approved for use in mainland China, even if it’s just available to German nationals living there. Several Chinese companies are developing mRNA vaccines, but none have made it to final approval. In September, Indonesia—not China—became the first country to approve a Chinese-developed mRNA vaccine, from pharmaceutical company Walvax. Fosun Pharmaceuticals, BioNTech’s distribution partner for greater China, secured 100 million doses for the Chinese market in December 2020. Yet Fosun’s applications to use its doses in mainland China are still pending , with no indication of when the mRNA vaccine will be approved for widespread use. (The semiautonomous Chinese city of Hong Kong approved BioNTech for use in its vaccination campaigns.) China has largely relied on two vaccines, from Sinovac and Sinopharm , in its vaccination campaign. The two vaccines use an inactivated virus to confer immunity. Studies show that the two vaccines are less effective at preventing infection, severe disease, and death than the BioNTech and Moderna shots, which use mRNA technology. Sinovac and Sinopharm are both developing boosters that specifically target the Omicron variant. Public health officials have blamed China’s less-effective vaccines for hindering its ability to smoothly change its COVID policy. “The efficacy of the China‑made vaccines are not at the level of the vaccines that have been used in the United States,” Anthony Fauci, the outgoing White House medical adviser, told the Washington Post on Dec. 2. How many Chinese have been vaccinated? The more pressing problem, in Beijing’s view, is not the effectiveness of its vaccines, but that not enough people are vaccinated. Official data released in early December shows that only 40% of China’s over-80 population has received a booster. Health officials at the time pledged to launch new campaigns to vaccinate China’s elderly, but now the task is especially urgent. Beijing announced sweeping changes to its COVID rules last Wednesday, including letting mild and asymptomatic cases recover at home and limiting lockdowns to individual floors and buildings, rather than whole neighborhoods. A pivot is likely good news for China’s economy , dragged down in November by a record COVID outbreak and widespread lockdowns. Chinese consumer sentiment last month fell to levels not seen since early 2020, the start of the pandemic, according to a survey released Sunday by Morning Consult. But relaxed measures could lead to a surge in cases across China. One of the country’s top medical advisers predicted last week that as much as 60% of the country could catch COVID in an initial exit wave. Chinese officials are now reassuring people that an increase in cases is not a cause for concern. State media quoted Zhong Nanshan, the country’s top medical expert, on Friday as saying that Omicron’s death rate is comparable to that of influenza .
Markdown	Search [Subscribe for \$1Subscribe for \$1](https://fortune.com/subscribe/?itm_source=Site_0_HCL_NAV_CTA_0_2025_ZZ&redirect=%2F2022%2F12%2F12%2Fchina-approves-biontech-pfizer-mrna-covid-vaccine-restrictions%2F) [Sign in](https://fortune.com/signin/?signin_redirect=%2F2022%2F12%2F12%2Fchina-approves-biontech-pfizer-mrna-covid-vaccine-restrictions%2F) - [Home](https://fortune.com/) - [Latest](https://fortune.com/section/latest/) - [Fortune 500](https://fortune.com/section/fortune-500/) - [Finance](https://fortune.com/section/finance/) - [Tech](https://fortune.com/section/tech/) - [Leadership](https://fortune.com/section/leadership/) - [Lifestyle](https://fortune.com/section/lifestyle/) - [Rankings](https://fortune.com/ranking/) - [Multimedia](https://fortune.com/2022/12/12/china-approves-biontech-pfizer-mrna-covid-vaccine-restrictions/) [China](https://fortune.com/tag/china/) # China finally approves an mRNA COVID vaccine—but only for some foreigners ![Nicholas Gordon](https://content.fortune.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/placeholder_16x9.jpg) By [Nicholas Gordon](https://fortune.com/author/nicholas-gordon/) Nicholas Gordon Asia Editor ![Nicholas Gordon](https://content.fortune.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/placeholder_16x9.jpg) By [Nicholas Gordon](https://fortune.com/author/nicholas-gordon/) Nicholas Gordon Asia Editor December 12, 2022, 1:56 AM ET Add us on ![Woman gets a COVID vaccination in Guizhou province, China](https://content.fortune.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/placeholder_16x9.jpg) China has pledged to speed up vaccination for elderly people as it prepares to pivot away from its tough COVID-zero policies.CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty Images Two years after the first countries approved the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine for domestic use, China will finally allow the mRNA vaccine to be used domestically—but there’s a catch. On Friday, China confirmed in a press briefing that [it would let German nationals](https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/202212/t20221209_10988054.html) receive the BioNTech COVID vaccine, which uses mRNA technology, in exchange for German health authorities on Wednesday [approving China’s Sinovac](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-allow-sinovac-vaccine-chinese-citizens-only-spiegel-2022-12-07/) jab for Chinese nationals living in Germany. The statement from China’s foreign ministry clarifies an earlier announcement by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his trip to Beijing that BioNTech would [be made available](https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/scholz-secures-agreement-allowing-expats-china-use-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-2022-11-04/) to foreign nationals in China. But Beijing’s decision to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech jab for a sliver of China’s population highlights the country’s uneasy relationship with mRNA vaccines and shots developed overseas as Beijing embarks on an exit from its tough COVID-zero policy, which will likely cause a massive outbreak. ## Has China approved mRNA vaccines? BioNTech is the first mRNA vaccine—and the first developed overseas—approved for use in mainland China, even if it’s just available to German nationals living there. Several Chinese companies are developing mRNA vaccines, but none have made it to final approval. In September, Indonesia—not China—became [the first country](https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3194368/chinas-first-mrna-covid-19-vaccine-approved-use-indonesia) to approve a Chinese-developed mRNA vaccine, from pharmaceutical company Walvax. Fosun Pharmaceuticals, BioNTech’s distribution partner for greater China, [secured 100 million](https://fortune.com/2021/03/20/biontech-covid-vaccine-china-approval-fosun/) doses for the Chinese market in December 2020. Yet Fosun’s applications to use its doses in mainland China are [still pending](https://fortune.com/2021/12/14/biontech-pfizer-fosun-covid-vaccine-china-approval/), with no indication of when the mRNA vaccine will be approved for widespread use. (The semiautonomous Chinese city of Hong Kong approved BioNTech for use in its vaccination campaigns.) China has largely relied on two vaccines, from Sinovac and [Sinopharm](https://fortune.com/company/sinopharm/), in its vaccination campaign. The two vaccines use an inactivated virus to confer immunity. Studies show that the two vaccines are less effective at preventing infection, severe disease, and death than the BioNTech and [Moderna](https://fortune.com/company/moderna/) shots, which use mRNA technology. [Sinovac](https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3191684/chinas-sinovac-test-omicron-targeting-vaccines-chile) and [Sinopharm](https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1650995-20220531.htm) are both developing boosters that specifically target the Omicron variant. Public health officials have [blamed China’s less-effective vaccines](https://fortune.com/2022/12/02/anthony-fauci-china-covid-vaccines-less-effective-sinovac-sinopharm/) for hindering its ability to smoothly change its COVID policy. “The efficacy of the China‑made vaccines are not at the level of the vaccines that have been used in the United States,” Anthony Fauci, the outgoing White House medical adviser, told the Washington Post on Dec. 2. ## How many Chinese have been vaccinated? The more pressing problem, in Beijing’s view, is not the effectiveness of its vaccines, but that not enough people are vaccinated. Official data released in early December shows that only 40% of China’s over-80 population has received a booster. Health officials at the time pledged to launch new campaigns to vaccinate China’s elderly, but now the task is especially urgent. Beijing announced [sweeping changes](https://fortune.com/2022/12/07/china-covid-restrictions-reopening-economy-recovery/) to its COVID rules last Wednesday, including letting mild and asymptomatic cases recover at home and limiting lockdowns to individual floors and buildings, rather than whole neighborhoods. A pivot is likely [good news for China’s economy](https://fortune.com/2022/12/07/china-covid-restrictions-reopening-economy-recovery/), dragged down in November by a record COVID outbreak and widespread lockdowns. Chinese consumer sentiment last month fell to levels not seen since early 2020, the start of the pandemic, according to a [survey released Sunday](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-12/china-consumer-sentiment-fell-near-2020-lows-before-lifted-curbs) by Morning Consult. But relaxed measures could lead to a surge in cases across China. One of the country’s top medical advisers predicted last week that as much as 60% of the country [could catch COVID](https://fortune.com/2022/12/08/china-ends-covid-zero-exit-wave-new-cases-feng-zijian/) in an initial exit wave. Chinese officials are now reassuring people that an increase in cases is not a cause for concern. State media quoted Zhong Nanshan, the country’s top medical expert, on Friday as saying that Omicron’s death rate is [comparable to that of influenza](https://fortune.com/2022/12/11/china-medical-expert-zhong-nanshan-downplays-covid-risks-lockdowns-restrictions-ease/). Our new weekly Impact Report newsletter examines how ESG news and trends are shaping the roles and responsibilities of today's executives. [Subscribe here](https://mynewsletters.fortune.com/impact-report). About the Author [![Nicholas Gordon](https://content.fortune.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/placeholder_16x9.jpg)](https://fortune.com/author/nicholas-gordon/) By [Nicholas Gordon](https://fortune.com/author/nicholas-gordon/)Asia Editor Nicholas Gordon is an Asia editor based in Hong Kong, where he helps to drive Fortune’s coverage of Asian business and economics news. 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Readable Markdown	Two years after the first countries approved the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine for domestic use, China will finally allow the mRNA vaccine to be used domestically—but there’s a catch. On Friday, China confirmed in a press briefing that [it would let German nationals](https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/202212/t20221209_10988054.html) receive the BioNTech COVID vaccine, which uses mRNA technology, in exchange for German health authorities on Wednesday [approving China’s Sinovac](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-allow-sinovac-vaccine-chinese-citizens-only-spiegel-2022-12-07/) jab for Chinese nationals living in Germany. The statement from China’s foreign ministry clarifies an earlier announcement by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his trip to Beijing that BioNTech would [be made available](https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/scholz-secures-agreement-allowing-expats-china-use-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-2022-11-04/) to foreign nationals in China. But Beijing’s decision to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech jab for a sliver of China’s population highlights the country’s uneasy relationship with mRNA vaccines and shots developed overseas as Beijing embarks on an exit from its tough COVID-zero policy, which will likely cause a massive outbreak. ## Has China approved mRNA vaccines? BioNTech is the first mRNA vaccine—and the first developed overseas—approved for use in mainland China, even if it’s just available to German nationals living there. Several Chinese companies are developing mRNA vaccines, but none have made it to final approval. In September, Indonesia—not China—became [the first country](https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3194368/chinas-first-mrna-covid-19-vaccine-approved-use-indonesia) to approve a Chinese-developed mRNA vaccine, from pharmaceutical company Walvax. Fosun Pharmaceuticals, BioNTech’s distribution partner for greater China, [secured 100 million](https://fortune.com/2021/03/20/biontech-covid-vaccine-china-approval-fosun/) doses for the Chinese market in December 2020. Yet Fosun’s applications to use its doses in mainland China are [still pending](https://fortune.com/2021/12/14/biontech-pfizer-fosun-covid-vaccine-china-approval/), with no indication of when the mRNA vaccine will be approved for widespread use. (The semiautonomous Chinese city of Hong Kong approved BioNTech for use in its vaccination campaigns.) China has largely relied on two vaccines, from Sinovac and [Sinopharm](https://fortune.com/company/sinopharm/), in its vaccination campaign. The two vaccines use an inactivated virus to confer immunity. Studies show that the two vaccines are less effective at preventing infection, severe disease, and death than the BioNTech and [Moderna](https://fortune.com/company/moderna/) shots, which use mRNA technology. [Sinovac](https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3191684/chinas-sinovac-test-omicron-targeting-vaccines-chile) and [Sinopharm](https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1650995-20220531.htm) are both developing boosters that specifically target the Omicron variant. Public health officials have [blamed China’s less-effective vaccines](https://fortune.com/2022/12/02/anthony-fauci-china-covid-vaccines-less-effective-sinovac-sinopharm/) for hindering its ability to smoothly change its COVID policy. “The efficacy of the China‑made vaccines are not at the level of the vaccines that have been used in the United States,” Anthony Fauci, the outgoing White House medical adviser, told the Washington Post on Dec. 2. ## How many Chinese have been vaccinated? The more pressing problem, in Beijing’s view, is not the effectiveness of its vaccines, but that not enough people are vaccinated. Official data released in early December shows that only 40% of China’s over-80 population has received a booster. Health officials at the time pledged to launch new campaigns to vaccinate China’s elderly, but now the task is especially urgent. Beijing announced [sweeping changes](https://fortune.com/2022/12/07/china-covid-restrictions-reopening-economy-recovery/) to its COVID rules last Wednesday, including letting mild and asymptomatic cases recover at home and limiting lockdowns to individual floors and buildings, rather than whole neighborhoods. A pivot is likely [good news for China’s economy](https://fortune.com/2022/12/07/china-covid-restrictions-reopening-economy-recovery/), dragged down in November by a record COVID outbreak and widespread lockdowns. Chinese consumer sentiment last month fell to levels not seen since early 2020, the start of the pandemic, according to a [survey released Sunday](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-12/china-consumer-sentiment-fell-near-2020-lows-before-lifted-curbs) by Morning Consult. But relaxed measures could lead to a surge in cases across China. One of the country’s top medical advisers predicted last week that as much as 60% of the country [could catch COVID](https://fortune.com/2022/12/08/china-ends-covid-zero-exit-wave-new-cases-feng-zijian/) in an initial exit wave. Chinese officials are now reassuring people that an increase in cases is not a cause for concern. State media quoted Zhong Nanshan, the country’s top medical expert, on Friday as saying that Omicron’s death rate is [comparable to that of influenza](https://fortune.com/2022/12/11/china-medical-expert-zhong-nanshan-downplays-covid-risks-lockdowns-restrictions-ease/).
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