China’s vaccine push falters as many countries switch to mRNA shots

But many governments that once relied on vaccines from Sinovac Biotech Ltd. or Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd. are now turning to alternatives in the US and Europe instead, because of the efficacy of Chinese vaccines against the delta strain and Western leanings on mRNA supplies. Concerns grow about becomes relaxed. This preference is already visible in customs data from China, where exports of human vaccines fell 21% in August from $2.48 billion in July to $1.96 billion, a steady increase since December 2020. Used to be.

“Basically people took what they could get” when COVID vaccines first became available, said Nicholas Thomas, an associate professor at the City University of Hong Kong who has edited several books on foreign policy and public health. .

“But as this goes on, the general population — not just physicians — has become more educated about the differences,” he said. “They have realized that not all vaccines are equal in terms of safety.”

This variation played out during Thailand’s deadly outbreak earlier this year. As cases rose and Southeast Asia emerged as the new epicenter of the pandemic, the nation desperately tried to procure vaccines. Only one supplier arrived at the time: China’s Sinovac.

The shots allowed the country of 70 million to start its vaccination campaign earlier than expected, but Thailand soon faced a challenge now facing lawmakers around the developing world.

The efficacy of inactivated vaccines from China ranges from about 50% to 80% in clinical trials. But they are less potent than mRNA vaccines and there are growing questions about their effectiveness against the highly permeable delta variant. As a result, the Thai government became the first government in the world to offer the AstraZeneca plc shot to people who had already received a jab or two of Sinovac. Although it is not an mRNA, Thai studies have shown that the Cambridge, UK-based company’s viral vector vaccine is as potent as a booster to the Chinese shot, and Pfizer’s dose was found to be even more effective.

But many Thais soon expressed a strong preference for Western shots – even resisting their demand – and the country’s opposition began to lash out at the government for its reliance on China. Thailand halted orders for Sinovac and began buying more Western vaccines.

“I am not anti-Sinovac,” said Chauwat Sittisak, a 29-year-old teacher in northern Thailand who received her first dose of Sinovac but ordered a second Moderna shot from a private hospital. “If there was only one vaccine in the world and it’s Sinovac, I would get it. But we have a lot of other options. And I want the one that’s best.”

Many governments that once relied on Chinese shots are now ordering or asking for donations of mRNA vaccines instead. The swing away from China is likely to accelerate as US President Joe Biden has pledged to donate 1.1 billion mRNA shots, Europe has promised millions of vaccines and India is expected to take a stand after reducing shipments after its deadly second wave. AstraZeneca is once again preparing to export vaccines. In addition to availability and efficacy, freedom of movement can also drive change: recipients of Chinese vaccines cannot travel to certain places, such as Singapore.

vaccine export

In a written reply to Bloomberg, Sinovac said its CoronaVac shot has been effective in preventing hospitalizations, intensive care admissions and deaths during the pandemic. A spokesman said that some countries first introduced SinoVac to the elderly, who are more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19, while younger populations later received different vaccines, “and this has been attributed to CoronaVac’s effectiveness.” should be included in the assessment.

Several countries, including Thailand, have “purchased vaccines from multiple suppliers to maximize the number of doses available to their populations,” the company said.

As things stand, the list of places to move away from Chinese vaccines – or augment them with Western boosters – includes Singapore, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. In China’s own region of Hong Kong, which has long offered residents a choice between BioNTech and Sinovac, health officials are now testing whether the Chinese shot will perform better when paired with a Western booster.

While Sinovac allowed Thailand to begin its rollout earlier than planned, the last shipment of 6 million doses will be due in October. At least three quarters of government orders in 2022 will also come from Astra and Pfizer.

Moves like Thailand are a blow to China’s vaccine diplomacy ambitions. Still, governments face a difficult balance between protecting the public and maintaining good relations with China. The Thai health ministry is careful in saying that while it has no plans to order more Sinovac, it is not suggesting the shots are not effective.

Chinese firms have exported about 884 million doses of their domestic vaccines, mostly through bilateral deals with places like Brazil and Indonesia. This week Chile began giving Sinovac shots to children as young as six, a strong endorsement of a shot that is the backbone of their rollout.

And there is still a severe shortage of vaccines in many parts of the world. For example, some African countries have barely started their vaccination campaigns after struggling to procure shots. Cte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Kenya are all preparing Chinese vaccines, and Beijing is a major supplier to the World Health Organization-backed COVAX facility that aims to get the vaccines to the developing world. President Xi Jinping has promised to export 2 billion doses this year in line with the commitments of the Group of Seven countries.

Various studies conducted around the world have shown Jabs to be effective in preventing serious illness and death.

Yet pharmaceutical firms in China – which were initially less ahead than Western companies in releasing clinical trial data – have not released similar conclusive studies showing that inactivated vaccines are effective against delta.

In the coming year, policymakers may continue to move away from the outdated technology of inactivated Chinese vaccines, says Benjamin Cowling, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Hong Kong, who published a recent study showing Pfizer in the Lancet. The vaccine generated 10 times more antibodies than Sinovac.

“If you have some vaccines that are more effective than others, and the cost is roughly the same, you’re going to get better bang for the buck if you choose the more effective vaccines,” Cowling said. “But I still think supplies are limited, so it may not be as simple as saying, ‘We just want to order Moderna Vaccine,’ or whatever.”

‘better choice’

In Thailand, the opposition Move Forward party is now calling on the government to disclose the percentage of people who have received only Sinovac shots.

“The government already knows that studies and research show that inactivated virus vaccines are less effective against virus mutations than mRNA-based vaccines,” said Viroj Lakkhanadishorn, an opposition lawmaker and leader of the government’s vaccine policies. A prominent critic said. “We need to be aware that vaccination rates that exclude all two-dose Sinovac shots because immunity may no longer be sufficient. Any area that is prepared can reopen.”

Thailand’s health ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

The teacher, Chauvat, said he was feeling pressured to get the Sinovac shot because of his job, but is hoping to get the Moderna shot in a month or two.

“The government is turning away from Sinovac because they have to move forward with their reopening plan and they want to reduce vaccine hesitation among people who don’t want Sinovac.” “They are turning to better alternatives.”

This story has been published without modification in text from a wire agency feed. Only the title has been changed.