Foreigners aged 18 or older in Beijing can now apply for coronavirus vaccinations through their companies, schools or communities, according to the official Wechat account of the Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality on Friday.

They will be offered Chinese vaccines that use inactivated virus. Two doses are needed. Foreigners who have joined Beijing's government-run medical insurance program can get vaccinated free; otherwise they need to pay 93.50 yuan ($14.20) per dose, it said.

Anyone volunteering to be inoculated needs to make an appointment at the places where they study, work or live in Beijing, with valid identity documents. Then they must wait scheduling. They need to bring their passports and valid residence or stay permit to the vaccination site, and ensure that all certificates are within the validity period before the date of the second dose.

Before the inoculation a foreigner must report his or her physical condition to a doctor to verify they are proper candidates for the vaccine, and they must sign an informed consent form. After the vaccination, they need to stay at the site for at least 30 minutes to see if there are any negative reactions.

Foreigners who have completed the vaccination process will be able to download and print out a certificate via the Health Kit online platform.

Although vaccinations can result in immunity and greatly reduce the risk of infection, they cannot provide 100 percent protection, so wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing continue to be advised after the shots.