On May 19, 2026, China’s National Healthcare Security Administration and the Ministry of Finance jointly issued a policy allowing people covered by the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance scheme to use their personal medical savings accounts to pay for influenza vaccination. This marks the first time, beyond the temporary COVID-19 arrangements, that a non-National Immunization Program (NIP) vaccine has been routinely included within China’s health insurance payment framework, representing a significant milestone in the integration of preventive services into the broader healthcare financing system.
“The move aligns closely with years of research and advocacy by VaxLab,” says Shenglan Tang, M.D., Ph.D., a global health professor with DKU and the Duke Global Health Institute who leads the VaxLab, formally known as the Innovation Lab for Vaccine Delivery Research.
Since its establishment in 2021, VaxLab has identified sustainable immunization financing as a core priority, generating evidence and policy recommendations to support the expansion of vaccine access through diversified funding mechanisms.
Through peer-reviewed publications in The Lancet Public Health and BMJ Global Health, VaxLab researchers have consistently argued that incorporating vaccines into health insurance schemes is both feasible and economically sound. Their analyses highlighted that broader vaccine coverage could reduce healthcare expenditures by preventing disease-related outpatient visits and hospitalizations, while diversified financing channels could strengthen the long-term sustainability of China’s immunization program.
Beyond academic research, VaxLab and its partners have produced a series of policy briefs advocating for innovative financing approaches, including coordinated contributions from government budgets, social health insurance, commercial insurance, and other funding sources. The team has also recommended expanding insurance reimbursement for non-NIP vaccines, promoting family use of medical savings accounts, and increasing financial support for influenza vaccination among priority populations such as older adults, healthcare workers, and school-aged children.
“We are pleased to see this important step. Including influenza vaccines under personal health insurance accounts is a feasible pathway – within the existing legal framework – to bring preventive services into the health insurance system,” Tang says.
The new policy represents another example of VaxLab’s growing contribution to vaccine policy reform in China. Earlier research and advocacy efforts from the lab helped build the evidence base for expanding vaccine access and strengthening national immunization programs.
While welcoming the breakthrough, VaxLab also emphasizes the importance of equity. The current policy benefits only individuals enrolled in the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance scheme, leaving a large proportion of rural residents and others without personal medical savings accounts unable to access the same financial support. Looking ahead, further policy innovation will be needed to ensure that high-risk and vulnerable populations can benefit from influenza vaccination and that improvements in vaccine financing translate into more equitable access across China.
English translation: Tianyi Deng
Page Editor: Ruitong Li
Reference:
https://globalhealth.duke.edu/news/vaxlab-marks-another-win-vaccine-access
