How to Use Alipay to Book Your Flu Vaccine This Winter

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In the wake of the coronavirus, Beijingers are more eager than usual to make sure they don’t catch this year’s mutation of the influenza virus as incoming weather changes prompt the annual outbreak. As a result, some readers may have called up their hospital of preference only to discover that their flu vaccine reserves have been depleted!

Fortunately, there’s no problem that the internet can’t solve. In this case, Alipay has got your back, offering up a simple solution to finding a flu vaccine in Beijing.

There is a catch, however. The fine people at GLZ Health, who are operating the vaccine sales, will choose the hospital for you from a list of eight hospitals in Chaoyang, Haidian, Xicheng, and Daxing districts, and there’s no guaranteeing that it will be near your place of residence or work. If that sounds alright to you, then follow this guide to land a helpful needle in your arm.

Step One: Search for ‘Flu Vaccine’

Tap "GO" to start booking

Open your Alipay app and enter ‘流感疫苗’ (liúgǎn yìmiáo, flu vaccine) in the search bar. The top featured result is what you’re looking for! Tap it to enter the store page.

Step two: Selecting the right vaccine

Tap the highlighted box for adults and children over three

There will be four options on the store page. The top two options are for the flu – select the left option for children ages three and below. For everyone else, choose the option on the right.

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Step three – Checking out

Tap the red button

Tap the red button in the bottom-right corner of the page that reads ‘立即购买‘ (lìjí gòumǎi, buy now). In the pop-up, select the top option, ’北京流感疫苗一针 (三岁以上)‘ (Běijīng liúgǎn yìmiáo yī zhēn [sān suì yǐshàng], Beijing flu vaccine single shot [older than three]). Then tap the red bar at the bottom of the page that reads ‘确认’ (quèrèn, confirm).

Be sure that the Beijing option is selected as pictured here

On the next page, select how many shots you’ll be needing by pressing the plus sign until arriving at the correct number.

Under that, there will be two input lines. In the first, input your phone number. In the second line, input your ID number(s). If you are using a passport, write ‘护照’ (hùzhào, passport) and then write your passport number(s).

Then tap ‘提交订单‘ (tíjiāo dìngdān, submit order) and make the payment.

Step four: Confirm your appointment

A text message will be sent to the phone number you entered (probably within 2-3 business days) informing you of the hospital and how to book the appointment.

That’s it! Stay healthy this winter, folks.

This article originally appeared on our sister publication the Beijinger.

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Images: Unsplash, Joey Knotts

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