China said on Thursday that it had fully inoculated 1 billion people, a milestone for the world’s most populous country that brings it closer to its goal of vaccinating 80 per cent of its population by the end of the year.

It was a significant accomplishment, representing 71 per cent of China’s population of 1.4 billion. China has administered 2.16 billion doses, nearly triple that of India, which is ranked second for shots given and has doled out 752.7 million doses, according to Our World in Data.

More than 200 million people ages 60 and older have been inoculated, while about 95 million children ages 12 to 17 have got shots, Lei Zhenglong, an official with China’s National Health Commission, said.