Chinese vaccine manufacturers are racing to meet China ‘s needs and a growing list of countries, but there are signs that inoculations are slowing down more than expected.
In the Middle East and North Africa, countries that have relied on Chinese vaccines in a bid to protect their populations have been delayed. The UAE, the first country outside China to agree a vaccine with Chinese drug dealer Sinopharm, has shifted to giving priority to the elderly, with chronic illness and other select groups. He had been offering shots to everyone, which left residents waiting weeks for meetings.
At home, Chinese authorities have dispensed more doses than many other countries, but several Western countries are ahead of everyone – and China has not started protecting the elderly due to lack of clinical trial data for the age group sin.
China had administered more than 40 million doses as of Feb. 9, according to the country’s health commission. That is far short of the goal set by health officials in a conference call in December by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, according to people familiar with the matter: spreading 100 million dose before the start of the Lunar New Year holidays on Friday.
China is not alone. Vaccine shipping around the world has been delayed. But many developing countries count on Chinese vaccines among the small number of affordable and available options, and Beijing has made vaccine diplomacy part of its foreign policy.