Waimai Drivers, F&B Workers in Beijing Begin the Vaccination Process

In the first few days of the new year, more than 70,000 Beijingers received their first dose of the Sinovac vaccine. The vast majority of these recipients are essential workers and those who fall into nine other categories.

Your average day-to-day Beijinger is unlikely to come in contact with most of these personnel, but now that Beijing has moved onto the second line of recipients there is one group among them with whom you’re bound to come in contact on a regular, if not daily basis: food and beverage industry workers and waimai delivery drivers.

Waimai drivers began the inoculation process within the past couple of days. A representative of JSS delivery told the Beijinger that they have become the first food delivery platform to have all of their drivers receive the initial dose of the vaccine.

“We feel it’s a great service for both our customers and our staff,” says the representative, adding that the company has already informed their customers of the vaccination via their WeChat groups and received overwhelmingly positive feedback.

Other platforms such as Meituan and Ele.me have also begun the process and expect their whole crews to receive their first doses soon.

Several restaurateurs have told the Beijinger that their staff too have, in part or in whole, received their first doses, though others have said they are still waiting for the green light.

Anna Lin Yip of Mosto Group says that all Moka Bros staff at their Solana location have gotten the shot and that Sanlitun staff are scheduled to receive theirs on Monday.

“Mark, the manager of Moka Bros Solana got his first vaccination shot on Monday,” says Yip. “He faces hundreds of customers a day, and with the shot he feels safer in his job, and particularly will after he receives his second shot. They feel proud and safe to have received this vaccine, particularly those who have kids and elders to go home to.” She adds that neither he nor his colleagues have felt any side effects from the vaccine. (Officials have reported that some recipients feel mild lightheadedness, but no serious side effects have resulted so far.)

The Sinovac vaccine, which is estimated to have an efficacy rate of more than 70 percent, is administered in two doses, the second coming between 14 and 28 days after the first. Recipients then need an additional two weeks to develop immunity, so the personnel receiving the vaccine now should be fully inoculated from COVID-19 within 42 days. In the meantime, the government is administering weekly nucleic acid tests to workers in at-risk locations.

READ: A Semi-Comprehensive List of Where You Can Get a COVID-19 Test in Beijing

Images: Yunnan Supervision Committee, JSS