mandag 19. juli 2021

Covid: Is China's vaccine success waning in Asia?

Across Asia, Chinese vaccines have played a crucial role in immunising people against Covid-19, with millions receiving either a Sinovac or Sinopharm jab. But in recent weeks, concerns have grown about their efficacy. Now, some Asian countries which made Chinese vaccines a key plank in their immunisation programmes have announced they will use other jabs. The move has raised questions, not only about whether China's vaccines can be trusted, but also about its attempts at vaccine diplomacy in Asia.

Last week, Thailand announced it was changing its vaccine policy - instead of receiving two Sinovac shots, residents will now get a mix of Sinovac and AstraZeneca. Healthcare workers who are already fully vaccinated with Sinovac will also get a different jab as a booster shot. Indonesia announced a similar move the previous week, saying it was giving Moderna booster shots to healthcare workers immunised with Sinovac. The decisions followed reports that hundreds of fully vaccinated healthcare workers had caught Covid, with some of them - two in Thailand and 30 in Indonesia - dying.