China's top disease control official has said the country is formally considering mixing COVID-19 vaccines as a way of further boosting vaccine efficacy. Available data shows Chinese vaccines lag behind others including Pfizer and Moderna in terms of efficacy, but require less stringent temperature controls during storage.

China formally considering mixing its COVID-19 vaccines to boost protection rate

In Beijing, the vaccinated qualify for buy-one-get-one-free ice cream cones. In northern Gansu province, a county government published a 20-stanza poem extolling the virtues of the jab.

How will China vaccinate 560 million people? Start with free ice cream

Chinese state media outlet said on Wednesday some local authorities in China have resorted to "simple and crude" measures to push people into getting COVID-19 vaccines.

China using 'crude' efforts to get people vaccinated, says state media