BEIJING - More than 308 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered across China as of Friday, the National Health Commission said Saturday.

The new tally came as worldwide COVID-19 cases passed 150 million and Asia emerges as the hardest-hit region.

China has been promoting vaccination among the public to build an immune barrier.

During the five-day May Day holiday, which ended on Wednesday, the government took measures to ensure people got their due shots on schedule.

On Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) approved for emergency use a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine, making it the sixth vaccine to receive WHO validation for safety, efficacy and quality.

"Despite vaccines representing some light at the end of the tunnel, there is still a long way to go for the world to rein in the virus," said Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

A worldwide immunity barrier may not be achieved in the short term as inoculation rates in many countries and regions remain relatively low, according to a recent alert released by the center, which noted that self-protection measures are still very important.