Several countries in America have received their first shipments of vaccines in recent weeks – not from the regional superpower or from Western pharmaceutical giants, but from China, Russia and in some cases India.
Why it matters: The Americas have been ravaged by the pandemic and have recorded some of the world’s highest death toll. Few countries outside the US have the capacity to manufacture vaccines on a large scale, and most do not have the resources to buy their way to the front lines for imports. That has led to a battle for the supply that is available.
- Chile (17%), USA (15%), Barbados (12%), Canada (3%), Brazil (3%), Argentina (2%), Mexico (2%), Costa Rica (1%) only and Panama have managed to deliver a first dose to at least 1% of their population.
Driving the news: Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador – who spoke out against “hoarding” of vaccines by rich countries – was expected to ask President Biden in their virtual meeting Monday to share some of the US vaccine stockpile with Mexico.
- Ahead of the meeting, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the answer would be “no,” at least until all Americans have access.
- Canada, which has purchased 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 affairs: Other world powers to have started sending doses to the region. At least 10 Latin American countries have obtained or expect to receive the Russian Sputnik V vaccine soon, while 10 expect other doses from Sinovac or Sinopharm in China.
- Argentina was one of the first countries in the region to begin the rollout with Sputnik V, while Chile has climbed to the top of the vaccination charts with a combination of Pfizer and Sinovac.
- Meanwhile, most doses that have reached the Caribbean so far have come from India, which has become a global player in vaccine distribution due to its massive manufacturing capacity. New Delhi has donated doses of Oxford / AstraZeneca to Barbados and Dominica, among others.
- Israel entered the game of “vaccine diplomacy” on a small scale, sending 5,000 doses each to friendly governments in Guatemala and Honduras.
- Worth nothing: At least eight countries have concluded bilateral agreements with Pfizer or AstraZeneca. Cuba is now counting on a home-grown vaccine.
Zoom in: While Bolivia negotiated the purchase of 5.2 million doses of Sputnik at $ 10 per shot in December, the government was also in talks with Western pharmaceutical companies who “told us the developing world to wait until June,” Trade Minister Benjamin said. Blank to Reuters. .
- Bolivian President Luis Arce pumped his fist on the asphalt when the first Sputnik shipment arrived. Around 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 influence other countries, Pfizer has been accused of bullying Latin American countries during the negotiations.
Vaccines are often received that come from Russia and China with much fanfare, with political leaders and TV cameras on hand.
Yes but: Shipments are often quite small.
- Russia has given Bolivia 20,000 doses so far and Paraguay 4,000, enough to cover a fraction of 1% of their population.
- Both Russia and China will face challenges in terms of manufacturing capacity to cover their own populations, let alone send doses around the world.
However, deals can be produced the vaccines Sinovac and Sputnik in Brazil and Sputnik in Argentina should boost supplies. Crucially, the vaccines don’t require ultra-cold temperatures.
- However, questions remain about its efficacy, especially for the 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 severe cases.
- And while both countries are clearly gaining diplomatic marks, multiple polls have shown that many in Latin America are less willing to take a Russian or Chinese vaccine than a Western alternative.
What to watch: By this summer, the US and other wealthy countries will likely be ready to share doses internationally, significantly changing the picture of vaccine diplomacy.
- The global COVAX initiative, which is critical to America’s vaccination prospects, will also begin accelerating distribution this month. It should quickly surpass Russia and China as the largest source of vaccines for several countries.
It comes down to: Moscow and Beijing may have gained lasting goodwill and influence in the region by intervening when vaccines were most scarce.