US, EU, China, and Others Supply Medical Equipment... Vaccine Excluded, Criticism of Selfishness
[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min, Beijing=Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Countries around the world, including the United States, have stepped up to support India, which is facing the worst COVID-19 crisis. With 340,000 new infections and nearly 3,000 deaths per day in India, the healthcare system is collapsing, and the situation is on the verge of becoming a global catastrophe, prompting a belated response. Amid this, international criticism of President Joe Biden's vaccine isolationism is growing.
On the 25th (local time), Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Council (NSC) Advisor, and Ajit Doval, India's National Security Advisor, issued a statement after a phone call, pledging to quickly supply vaccine raw materials and oxygen to India. This statement came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested help, saying, "COVID-19 is shaking India like a storm." However, there was no mention of vaccine supply.
India has already administered 140 million vaccine doses but is struggling to expand vaccine production due to the U.S. policy of blocking vaccine raw material supplies. India is urgently requesting the U.S. to temporarily waive vaccine patents to supply more vaccines quickly, but American pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer and Moderna are firmly refusing.
Instead, the U.S. plans to supply India with therapeutics, rapid diagnostic test kits, ventilators, personal protective equipment (PPE), and medical oxygen. On the same day, the EU, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom also announced plans to support India with therapeutics and other supplies but did not mention vaccines. China, which has long been in dispute with India over border issues, also announced it would provide COVID-19 prevention supplies such as oxygen concentrators and masks to India on humanitarian grounds.
Criticism is also mounting against vaccine nationalism by developed countries, including the U.S., which are stockpiling vaccines for their own citizens. The New York Times (NYT), in an editorial, emphasized that "developed countries must step up as underdeveloped countries suffer from unethical vaccine shortages." The NYT also criticized the U.S. recommendation to halt the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as a luxury from the perspective of underdeveloped countries.
The British magazine The Economist expressed concern that President Joe Biden, who proclaimed "America is back," is not showing vaccine leadership.
Separately from support, countries are blocking exchanges with India. Starting with the United Kingdom, followed by Germany, Italy also banned entry of travelers coming from India on this day.
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