Chinese vaccine manufacturers are rushing to meet the needs of China and a growing list of countries, but there are signs that vaccinations are going slower than planned.
In the Middle East and North Africa, countries that relied on Chinese vaccinations are experiencing delays in trying to vaccinate their populations. The United Arab Emirates, the first country outside China to approve a vaccine by Chinese state-owned drugmaker Sinopharm, has switched to giving priority to the elderly, chronically ill and other select groups. It offered shots to everyone, leaving residents waiting weeks for appointments.
At home, Chinese authorities have distributed more doses than many other countries, but several Western countries are per capita ahead – and China has not started vaccinating the elderly due to a lack of clinical trial data for the age group.
According to the country’s health commission, China has administered more than 40 million doses since February 9. According to people familiar with the matter: it distributes 100 million doses before the start of the New Year holiday on Friday, it is beyond the goal set by health officials during a conference call with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in December.
China is not alone. Vaccines have been delayed worldwide. But many developing countries count on China’s vaccines as one of the few affordable and available options, and Beijing has made vaccine diplomacy part of its foreign policy.