BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- China has maintained a vaccination rate of above 90 percent for vaccines under the national immunization program, according to a health official Tuesday.

Currently, there are 15 vaccines provided for children for free in China, and the country has also been expanding the variety of vaccines under its immunization program, said Wang Bin, the official with the National Health Commission, at a press conference in Beijing.

Noting that people now have a deeper understanding of vaccines' function, Wang stressed that vaccination is the most effective and economical way of preventing infectious diseases.

Over the years, China has eliminated poliomyelitis and significantly reduced the incidence of hepatitis B with great efforts made on immunization work, said Wang, adding the incidence of measles in China dropped to a record low in 2019.  ■