Candice, a headhunter, is aware that the COVID-19 infections plaguing Beijing and much of China will soon reach her hometown of Shenzhen. Still, she would rather face the virus without a vaccination booster, citing her dread of probable side effects as a more significant concern than the virus itself.

The 28-year-old took two doses of Sinovac's CoronaVac last year, hoping it would facilitate travel. Still, she has become more skeptical, citing accounts from friends about adverse health effects and similar social media concerns.

She stated, on the condition that only her first name be used, "I do not trust it." Candice noted that she had declined to engage in recent community-organized vaccination initiatives.

Candice is a member of a group that exemplifies how vaccine hesitancy persists in mainland China, according to academics, which poses a growing problem for Beijing as it tries to persuade more people to vaccinate in the face of an increase in infections following the easing of anti-COVID restrictions.

Officially, China's vaccination rate is above 90%. Still, the rate for boostered adults drops to 57.9% and 42.3% for people aged 80 and older, according to government data, prompting warnings that the country could experience over 1.5 million deaths after removing restrictions such as lockdowns and mass testing that kept most viruses spread at bay. read further

In September, a publication by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acknowledged that coverage of older adults was inadequate and that the absence of local doctors in vaccination campaigns, a lack of medical understanding, and a lack of insurance for potential side effects all dampened enthusiasm.

Stephanie Jean-Tsang, an assistant professor at Hong Kong Baptist University specializing in health communications, remarked, "It's a peculiar scenario in China since people felt extremely protected for a very long time."

It took time for the inhabitants of Hong Kong, especially the elderly, to understand the risks and benefits of vaccinations.

Authorities have not made vaccination mandatory despite indications that the public would oppose such a move. Last Monday, China announced it would begin offering a second booster - or fourth shot - to high-risk groups and individuals over 60.

Foreign-produced vaccines are inaccessible to the general public in mainland China, which has depended on inactivated shots by Sinopharm, Sinovac's Coronavac, and other locally manufactured choices for its vaccine rollout, all of which have been deemed safe by the medical community. In addition, it has not yet developed its mRNA vaccine.

While China's medical community generally does not challenge the safety of Chinese vaccines, issues persist about their efficacy compared to foreign-made mRNA vaccines, according to Shenzhen physician Kelly Lei.

The hashtag 'Sinovac vaccine counterfeit' reached five million views on the Twitter-like Weibo site in late November, with many posts mentioning lumps and hair loss reportedly caused by the locally manufactured vaccination.

Lei stated, "at least half of doctors and educated individuals wanted the mRNA ones and declined the Chinese ones."

"After a while, people lose hope and are compelled to acquire Chinese goods, forcing them to accept it. Several physicians advised me not to waste my money on it, as it is ineffective."

Lei stated that several of her friends intend to travel to the neighboring Chinese enclave of Macau to acquire mRNA vaccines.

Recently, tourists visiting Macau have reported increased demand for vaccinations, with the online booking portal displaying no openings until January 21.

But after abandoning some of the world's strictest anti-COVID restrictions last week, China is now facing a wave of illnesses throughout the country, pushing those unable to go to Macau or overseas to opt for the Chinese vaccines out of desperation.

"In Guangzhou...the situation has begun to deteriorate. They desire at least some measure of protection, "Lei said.