(Yicai Global) March 3 -- Beijing has vaccinated more than five million residents against Covid-19 in a bit more than two months amid the country's plans to have almost half of its population protected against the virus by June.

The capital city had administered almost 7.7 million doses of the approved Covid-19 vaccines by yesterday, the local arm of the Chinese Center for Disease Prevention and Control announced this morning. That meant that more than 2.6 million people had received two doses. On Feb. 25, the drug regulator permitted the country's first one-shot Covid-19 vaccine.

The city started handing out vaccines on Jan. 1. Key groups, such as medical and social work personnel, and those working in service and labor-intensive sectors, come first. After that, next in line should be the elderly in good health. But eventually, a wider group of people should receive their doses.

The CDC aims to have 40 percent of the population vaccinated against the virus by June, Zhong Nanshan, head of an expert group of the National Health Commission of China, said on March 1. Since last December, China has approved four domestic Covid-19 vaccines.

Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi