First Thing: China pushes Covid vaccines for older people after unrest

Low vaccination rates seen as hurdle to easing strict zero-Covid policy. Plus, Biden's labor credentials under scrutiny

Good morning.

Chinese health officials have announced a drive to accelerate vaccinations of older people against Covid, as police patrolled several cities to stamp out the protests against the country's strict zero-Covid policy.

Why is China still having severe lockdowns? In what could be read as a rare criticism of the country's health system, a recent comment article published in China's state-run People's Daily quoted a pharmaceuticals analyst as saying that a full reopening might threaten a health system that currently has far fewer ICU beds than those of other developed countries".