How China took an unlikely lead in the global supply of Covid-19 vaccines
- Chinese shots have reached more than 60 countries so far, as rich nations guard their doses for mass inoculation at home
- But the vaccines are still under review for WHO authorisation, and concerns remain over efficacy and data transparency
This moment has been repeated around the world – in the tiny South American country of Guyana receiving 20,000 doses for its nearly 800,000 people, in the Balkans’ Montenegro, Africa’s Zimbabwe, in Laos, Southeast Asia, and the list goes on.
It puts a face to China’s vaccine assistance, which together with commercial deals has reached more than 60 countries to date. It also reveals the unlikely position of China – a small player in the global vaccine market pre-pandemic – as a leader in international supply, with its companies accounting for a significant chunk of the doses being sent around the world.
Figures from official sources and media compiled by the South China Morning Post show China and its vaccine makers have now shipped around 80 million ready-made vaccine doses overseas, and another 90 million doses worth of bulk ingredient have gone out to be finished in factories in Mexico, Indonesia and Brazil, with at least a third of those already processed.
Those figures place China as the world’s top global exporter, ahead of major producers the European Union and India, according to their latest available data. Meanwhile, China has administered more than 145 million doses at home.
Together, the doses administered at home and shipped abroad stand at about a third of the nearly 700 million that Unicef estimates have been delivered worldwide to date – though it is unclear how many doses have been administered overall.
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China-made coronavirus vaccines widely distributed despite efficacy concerns
