Chinese vaccine manufacturers are competing to meet China’s needs and a growing list of countries, but there are indications that inoculations will go slower than expected.
In the Middle East and North Africa, countries that depended on Chinese vaccines are experiencing delays in trying to inoculate their populations. The UAE, the first country outside of China to approve a vaccine by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm, has shifted to giving priority to the elderly, the chronically ill and other select groups. He had been offering shots to everyone, leaving residents waiting weeks for appointments.
At home, Chinese authorities have distributed more doses than many other countries, but there are several Western countries ahead per capita, and China has not begun inoculating seniors due to a lack of clinical trial data for this. age group.
China had administered more than 40 million doses on Feb. 9, according to the country’s health commission. This is far from the goal that health officials set at 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 lunar new year holidays friday.
China is not alone. Vaccine shipments have been delayed worldwide. But many developing countries have China’s vaccines as few available and affordable options, and Beijing has turned diplomacy into vaccines as part of its foreign policy.