Several countries in the Americas have received their first vaccine shipments in recent weeks, not from the regional superpower or Western pharmaceutical giants, but from China, Russia and, in some cases, India.
Why it’s important: North and South America has been battered by the pandemic and has recorded several of the highest death tolls in the world. Few countries other than the United States have the capacity to manufacture vaccines on a large scale and most do not have the resources to buy their imports at the head of the line. This caused a problem for any available supply.
- Only Chile (17%), USA (15%), Barbados (12%), Canada (3%), Brazil (3%), Argentina (2%), Mexico (2%), Costa Rica (1%) and Panama have managed to provide a first dose to at least 1% of its populations.
Driving the news: Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who has been insensitive to vaccine hoarding by rich countries, was expected to ask President Biden on Monday to share a portion of the U.S. vaccine supply with Mexico.
- Before the meeting, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the answer would be “no,” at least until all Americans have access.
- Canada, which has bought more doses in relation to its population than any other country, but struggled to obtain them due to limited manufacturing capacity, has received a similar response from Washington.
The state of play: Other global powers have began sending doses to the region. At least 10 Latin American countries have obtained the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia or are waiting soon, while 10 more are waiting for doses of Sinovac or Sinopharm from China.
- Argentina was one of the first countries in the region to begin its deployment, with Sputnik V, while Chile has climbed to the top of the vaccination lists with a combination of Pfizer and Sinovac.
- Meanwhile, most of the doses that have reached the Caribbean so far come from India, which has become a global player in the distribution of vaccines due to its mass manufacturing capacity. New Delhi has given doses of Oxford / AstraZeneca to countries like Barbados and Dominica.
- Israel entered the small-scale “vaccine diplomacy” game, sending 5,000 doses each to friendly governments in Guatemala and Honduras.
- It is necessary to emphasize: At least eight countries have signed bilateral agreements with Pfizer or AstraZeneca. Meanwhile, Cuba uses a vaccine of its own production.
Zoom in: While Bolivia was negotiating the purchase of 5.2 million doses of Sputnik in December, at $ 10 a shot, the government was also in talks with Western pharmaceutical companies that “told us in developing countries that we had to wait until June, ”Commerce Minister Benjamin Blanco told Reuters.
- Bolivian President Luis Arce punched the asphalt when Sputnik’s first shipment arrived. At the same time, he spoke with Vladimir Putin about possible joint energy projects.
- But while Psaki warned last month that Russia and China could use vaccines to generate leverage on other countries, Pfizer has been accused of harassing Latin American countries during negotiations.
Vaccines are often received from Russia and China with great breath, with political leaders and television cameras on hand.
Yes, but: Shipments are usually quite small.
- So far Russia has provided Bolivia with 20,000 doses and Paraguay 4,000, enough to cover a fraction of 1% of its populations.
- Both Russia and China will face manufacturing capacity challenges to cover their own populations, let alone ship doses worldwide.
However, offers to produce Sinovac and Sputnik vaccines in Brazil and Sputnik in Argentina should increase supplies. Crucially, vaccines do not require extremely cold temperatures.
- However, questions remain about the effectiveness, especially for Chinese vaccines. A trial in Brazil found that the Sinovac vaccine was only 50.4% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, although it was more effective in preventing serious cases.
- And while both countries clearly earn diplomatic points, several polls have found that many in Latin America would be less willing to take a Russian or Chinese vaccine than a Western alternative.
What to see: By this summer, the United States and other rich countries will likely be ready to share doses internationally, significantly changing the landscape of vaccine diplomacy.
- The global COVAX initiative, which is crucial to vaccination prospects in the Americas, will also begin to increase distribution this month. It should quickly surpass Russia and China as the largest source of vaccines in several countries.
The summary: Moscow and Beijing may have gained lasting goodwill and influence in the region by intervening when vaccines were scarce.