NüVoices Podcast: The End of China’s Zero-Covid Policy with Dr. Jennifer Bouey

Following the 20th Party Congress last fall, the signal from the top seemed to suggest that China would continue to stay the course on zero-Covid. Few could have imagined the sudden dismantling of the policy. Under zero-Covid, a breathtaking amount of resources were deployed across the country, along with intensive data tracking. All of that completely disappeared suddenly, and there are no reliable figures on current infections and deaths today.

In this first episode of our 2023 season, Dr. Jennifer Bouey, an epidemiologist and global health equity expert, helps us try to make sense of zero-Covid’s sudden end in China. She discusses the reasons behind China’s relatively low vaccination rate, the country’s decision not to import mRNA vaccines, and how Spring Festival travel could impact China’s public health policy. 

Listen on Apple Podcasts here or on Spotify here.

2022.12.14

And if you missed it, listen to the 2022 year-end recap episode with the NüVoices Podcast Team!