As of the end of May, China has administered over 500 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to its own population, the highest number of any country in the world. On May 26, it also achieved a new world record in daily vaccinations – inoculating over 20 million people in a single day.

This comes amid China’s push to fully vaccinate over 600 million people by the end of June and move toward herd immunity at a crucial turning point in the pandemic. Although vaccines are going out around the world, new and dangerous variants continue to run rampant, cause catastrophic new outbreaks and threaten countries that have otherwise successfully handled the pandemic.

China has pursued an effective approach to both COVID-19 and vaccinations, enabling it to prevent a second wave, contain its spread completely and also roll out vaccines at a rapid pace.

How did it achieve this? There are many factors to consider, but all come down to the strength embedded in China’s economic and social organization creating a consistent, vigilant, effective and extremely well-prepared response at every step, from the establishment of multiple vaccines, to supply chain strength, public willingness and digital economy.

After the outbreak of the epidemic, China’s leadership conceived that vaccine development was a crucial aspect to protect its people, considering the country’s huge population of 1.4 billion. Due to its industrial capacity and capability to produce enough doses to cover both domestic need and that overseas – something that has also remained resilient and stable through control of COVID-19 at home – China has developed multiple vaccines so far, and more are on the way. These vaccines not only ensured the country could avoid the risk of a future wave and the economic disruption of lockdowns, but also made a difference for many other countries.

Domestically, China’s vaccine distribution has been extremely well organized and combined with a willing and informed public. The government has run a strong campaign encouraging people to get vaccinated, providing accessible information and making the process extremely efficient. Many people have been able to register on their phones by simply scanning a QR code, which has accelerated administration and helped avoid hefty queues, also showing the successes of China’s digital development.

Internationally, the country has offered vaccine assistance to more than 80 countries and three international organizations. It has also conducted vaccine cooperation with over 50 countries. With its Sinopharm vaccine recently being listed for emergency use by the WHO, the country will further fulfil its commitment to making its vaccines a “global public good.”

As a whole, the aforementioned factors have allowed China to sustain the world’s largest and most efficient vaccination drive. However, the risk of a new disruptive outbreak constantly remains real as new variants continue to run rampant. China will not get complacent, and will continue its race to vaccinate against the clock, so as to contribute to the global fight against the pandemic.