Chinese vaccine makers are racing to meet the needs of China and a growing list of countries, but there are signs that vaccines are going slower than planned.
In the Middle East and North Africa, countries that relied on Chinese vaccines are experiencing delays in their attempts to inoculate their populations. The United Arab Emirates, the first country outside of China to approve a vaccine from Chinese state pharmaceutical Sinopharm, has moved to prioritize the elderly, chronically ill and other select groups. He had been offering everyone injections, which left residents waiting weeks for appointments.
At home, Chinese authorities have distributed more doses than many other countries, but several Western countries are ahead per capita, and China has not started inoculating the elderly due to a lack of clinical trial data for that age group.
China had administered more than 40 million doses as of February 9, according to the country’s health commission. That’s a far cry from the goal health officials set in a December conference call with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, according to people familiar with the matter: to distribute 100 million doses before the start of the holiday of the Year. New Lunar Friday.
China is not alone. Vaccine shipments have been delayed around the world. But many developing countries count on China’s vaccines as one of the few affordable and available options, and Beijing has made vaccine diplomacy a part of its foreign policy.