Mainland China’s shift from its zero-Covid policy has triggered a significant surge in infections, prompting many to look beyond their borders for vaccines.
By mid-December, China’s full Covid vaccination rate was nearly 87%, with 54% having received booster shots. The primary Covid vaccines approved for use in China are from Sinovac and Sinopharm.
Recently, mainlanders have been flocking to Macao for Western mRNA vaccines, which are widely administered globally but not approved by China.
However, even if patients attempted to book appointments as early as mid-December, the next available slots at the Macau University of Science and Technology Hospital—the only location offering jabs to tourists—are as late as February.
Analysts anticipate that the destinations for vaccine tourism will expand.
“I believe that the natural first destination of the Chinese vaccine tourism is Hong Kong. It will then spread to Asia and the U.S., maybe extend to Europe,” Sam Radwan, president of management consultancy Enhance International, told.
“It’s been long since I went to Hong Kong. I can take a vacation, as well as get vaccinated. Won’t this be killing two birds with one stone?
Without saying further, I have made my appointment and am getting ready,” a man from Shaanxi province posted Friday on Chinese social media website Weibo.
In a late December press briefing, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said the city “has reached a relatively high vaccination rate” and has a “sufficient amount of medicine to fight Covid.”
However, Hong Kong will not provide free Covid vaccinations to short-term travelers.
“We want to prevent visitors coming to Hong Kong to use the vaccines at the expense of Hong Kong people and we will not offer government-procured vaccines free of charge to non-Hong Kong residents,” Hong Kong’s government officials stated, adding that visitors must stay a minimum of 30 days to receive a booster shot.
Expect to see a wave of mainlanders traveling to Hong Kong to get their jabs, said Lam Wingho, a member of Hong Kong’s Scientific Committee on Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, according to a local media report.
Lam mentioned he received a steady stream of inquiries from citizens wanting to know how relatives from mainland China could get vaccinated in Hong Kong, he was reported as saying.
Thailand is another viable destination for vaccine tourists, and the country ranks among the top destinations that the Chinese are keen on traveling to, including Japan, South Korea, the U.S., and Singapore.
In late December, Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister said he was considering proposing free vaccines for foreign tourists who request booster shots.
And there is interest from the Chinese.
“At first I did not plan to go to Thailand, but for the sake of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, I’m thinking of going,” a Weibo user based in Shanghai said upon the announcement.
Another Weibo user residing in Beijing wrote that such a policy move would not only “help attract tourists to Thailand,” but also offer more variety for inoculation.
“For mainland Chinese who are hoping for more vaccine options, they will be able to get vaccinated with the jabs they want. Win-win.”
“Going outside of China is definitely a big remedy on the minds of a lot … I believe that the Chinese will travel wherever they can get the medicine,” said Sam Radwan, president of management consultancy Enhance International.
“On the spillover effects of China reopening, our recent study suggests Hong Kong and Thailand may benefit the most from the international tourism channel if China removes visa restrictions and outbound travel gradually normalizes,” Goldman Sachs wrote in a research note dated Dec. 27.
“Going outside of China is definitely a big remedy on the minds of a lot … I believe that the Chinese will travel wherever they can get the medicine,” Enhance International’s Radwan said.
