BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Education has required nursery institutions, kindergartens, and primary schools across the country to check the vaccination certificates of children before their admission.

The check targets vaccination records of both newly enrolled and transferred students, according to stipulations jointly issued by the Ministry of Education and the National Health Commission.

Checking should be performed within 30 days after the children's entrance, they said. Re-vaccination, if necessary, needs to be documented and checked by the end of the admittance year.

These measures are taken to raise the vaccination coverage rates among eligible children and strengthen prevention and control of infectious diseases in childcare institutions and schools, they said.