Some cities in Shandong province including Jinan, Qingdao, Linyi and Rizhao have started offering COVID-19 vaccine appointments for people who need to go abroad to work or study, according to the official WeChat account of the cities' health authority.

Appointments for vaccination at designated clinics have started since Dec 24, targeting people aged between 18 and 59 who need to work or study abroad.

People who apply for an appointment are required to present materials including their identification card, passport and visa.

They will take two shots within an interval of two to four weeks. The vaccination is conducted in accordance with voluntary principles.

"People who apply for an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine are expected to get the first shot on Jan 19," said a Jinan Hospital staff member who declined to reveal his or her name.

The hospital is one of the two designated hospitals for COVID-19 vaccination in Jinan city.

There are many people applying for the vaccination, keeping staff busy with taking appointment calls all day long, the staff member said on Tuesday.

In most cases, the vaccines are free of charge at most designated clinics. While in some cases, such as in the Qingdao West Coast New Area, one shot costs 222 yuan ($34), which consists of 200 yuan for the vaccine and 22 yuan for the vaccination service, according to the official WeChat account of the area's health authority.