Equal vaccine access key to ending pandemic: China Daily editorial

When the entire world is expecting the coming of vaccines to turn the tide, the tendency for vaccine nationalism threatens to sabotage the global fight against the novel coronavirus.

Some wealthy and developed countries are purchasing vaccines in the international market without considering the possibility that, in doing so, they may deny poor and least-developed countries access to the vaccines.

These developed countries suggest that since they have provided financial support for the development of the vaccines, they are entitled to get the vaccines first.

There are also worries that some developed countries will hoard vaccines or deny less-developed countries access to the vaccines in the name of intellectual property rights protection.

It is because of this that the World Health Organization launched the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, known as COVAX, to coordinate the distribution of vaccines. COVAX now has agreements in place to access nearly 2 billion doses of several promising vaccine candidates, and has laid the groundwork for further doses to be secured through contributions from donors.

However, the 2 billion doses are only arrangements and whether they can materialize will depend on whether vaccine developing countries will allow the vaccines that have been manufactured in their own countries to be delivered in accordance with the plan.

It is natural for a country to prioritize vaccines for the most vulnerable among their populations. But it is necessary for all countries to take into consideration the necessary contributions a country must make to the overall global fight against the pandemic.

No country will ever be absolutely safe until the spread of the novel coronavirus is thoroughly brought under control worldwide.

Also, vaccine unilateralism will not protect a country from the virus.

Vaccine nationalism and unilateralism will be detrimental to the revival of the world economy and therefore will in no way secure the prosperity of the economy of a single country.

That explains why China is participating in COVAX and has announced that the vaccines it develops will be global public products. China means what it says, and will do what it has promised as it knows well that it will not be completely safe until the pandemic is thoroughly brought under control around the world.

The virus knows no borders. Thinking about the distribution of vaccines should therefore also go beyond borders. Only when the development and distribution of vaccines are integrated into the global fight against the pandemic can the international community be hopeful of stemming the spread of the virus.