China News Service, May 19 (Bian Lei) "When will the United States send the new crown vaccine to India?" "There is no sign that the United States will release vaccine stocks"... Recently, the US government is in the background of the decreasing willingness of the people to vaccinate. Under the circumstance, vaccines are still hoarding frantically, triggering multiple accusations.
On May 17, the White House announced that the US supply of overseas vaccines would increase by 20 million doses, bringing the current total external supply to 80 million doses.
Biden also said that the United States will become the global "vaccine bank".
It seems that the United States shares the vaccine, the arrow is already on the strings; however, the US media hinted that these promises may still turn into "blank checks."
The Associated Press pointed out that the United States has not yet announced how it will fulfill the new promises and which countries will receive the vaccine.
"As the speed of vaccination in the United States slows down and vaccine doses continue to accumulate, the United States is at a crossroads in health, ethics and diplomacy." Bloomberg pointed out in an article on the 15th.
According to data compiled by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is a backlog of over 27 million doses of Modena vaccine and 35 million doses of Pfizer vaccine in the United States.
Researchers at Duke University estimate that by July, there will be at least 300 million doses of surplus vaccines in the United States.
"What you see here is an oversupply, and you know that there is an overdose (in the United States)." Monica Gandy, a physician at the University of California, San Francisco, said that she and her colleagues had written to call on the United States to replace Modena. The vaccine dose is shipped to India.
In addition, some well-known public health figures are also calling for the United States to pack the surplus vaccine stocks with dry ice and ship them to India and other places where the epidemic is still raging.
However, the United States obviously did not take it seriously.
The Times of India published an article on the 17th "The United States has accelerated its return to "normality", and there is no sign that it will release vaccine stocks", and stated in the article: "So far, there is no sign that the United States and others are releasing their vaccine stocks, even if they The age limit for vaccinations has been relaxed, although the World Health Organization urges them to close the global vaccination gap."
"While wealthy countries continue to promote vaccination, less than 1% of the world's new crown vaccine doses are allocated to people in low-income countries." said Tom Hart, acting CEO of the international non-profit organization "ONE Campaign".
Hart also pointedly pointed out that "the sooner the United States and other wealthy countries develop a coordinated strategy to share vaccine doses with the world's most vulnerable countries, the sooner we can all end the (coronavirus) pandemic."
Bloomberg further questioned, "China exports more vaccines than any other country, which has enhanced China's international image and increased its influence. Should the United States continue to buy and distribute millions of new crown vaccines every week? , For those who are not in a hurry or face a lower risk? Should the United States cut orders so that drugmakers can spare the effort to ship more drugs to other countries in need?"
On the 18th, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian criticized the United States for overstocking vaccines.
He said that the United States has snapped up vaccines far beyond what it needs, and hundreds of millions of doses of vaccines are being idled in US warehouses.
Zhao Lijian pointed out that Western developed countries, especially the United States, have stockpiled vaccines far exceeding their needs.
According to statistics from some institutions and media, the amount of vaccines held by high-income countries, which account for only 14% of the world’s population, has exceeded 6 times the amount of vaccines held by low- and middle-income countries, which account for 86% of the population.
The United States has snapped up about 2.6 billion doses of vaccines, accounting for a quarter of the world, far exceeding its own needs, and hundreds of millions of doses of vaccines are being idled in US warehouses.
Therefore, it is imperative that the developed countries that purchase vaccines far exceed their actual needs to immediately lift export restrictions, increase vaccine supply, and make up for the vaccine gap in developing countries as soon as possible.
"Unlike the United States, China will not use vaccines to influence or lead the world, let alone chanting slogans without action." Zhao Lijian emphasized that China has only one goal, which is to help developing countries save as many lives as possible.
China does not provide vaccines or anti-epidemic supplies to foreign countries in exchange for benefits. It does not have any geopolitical purpose and does not attach any political conditions.