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Various governments, from Japan and Australia to Hong Kong and South Korea, are in no rush to pass regulatory approvals for vaccines, unlike Western states, which are in a rush to vaccinate their populations.
Such a cautious approach may seem strange given efforts to return to a normal rhythm of life as soon as possible, but low infection rates suggest that Asian governments can afford to wait to see unprecedented vaccines in other countries. However, such a strategy can put them at an economic disadvantage compared to other countries that have poorly managed the spread of the disease but have been quickly vaccinated.
In New Zealand, which leads the Bloomberg Covid Resilience Ranking of the major economies that have been most successful in fighting the pandemic, a major opposition party has asked Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to explain why the country is “Lagging behind the rest of the world in its vaccination program.”
In South Korea, an editorial in the Hankyoreh newspaper said: “We cannot forever ask people to give up their normal life and suffer financial difficulties.”
But officials are defending their position with a more confident approach. “It is not wrong to step back and see how others are doing,” said Lama Ching-choi, a doctor and member of the executive council who advises the Hong Kong leader. “I fully support those who do not have that luxury and must do so as soon as possible to overcome the epidemic.”
Hong Kong, which currently reports dozens of COVID-19 cases a day and has killed a total of more than 170 people since the onset of the pandemic, is still preparing to approve a single vaccine because it wants more detailed information before it vaccination is scheduled. February, clinical trial data.
Australia, which closed its borders to non-residents at the start of the pandemic and introduced strict quarantines for the first time, expects to approve a vaccine between Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE by the end of January and a vaccine developed by AstraZeneca Plc in February.
The United States and the United Kingdom, for their part, have already injected a total of almost 7 million. vaccine doses, urgently approving the use of vaccines in December; Israel has injected $ 4 million. doses, or 44 vaccines per 100 people.
Vaccine anxiety
Asian officials and health experts continue to express concern that vaccine manufacturers have used a hitherto unused specific mRNA that directs the human body to produce proteins, resulting in the formation of protective antibodies against the body. Furthermore, for the first time, vaccinations are being carried out at such an enormous speed around the world.
Although millions of people have been vaccinated without incident, there have been some allergic reactions, including anaphylactic shock and other incidents, such as the death of a healthcare professional 16 days after vaccination with Pfizer, although the link has not been established.
“This additional time will allow those countries to learn from the experiences of countries that have started vaccination,” said Adam Taylor, a virologist at Griffith University in Australia. – The more information you have about the vaccination process and vaccine safety, the more confidence you will get when you start vaccination in your own country. The technology used to make the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines has never been used in humans before, and while its safety appears reliable, the more data, the better. “
Some parties are concerned that legal immunity has been granted to pharmaceutical companies through hasty negotiations. According to South Korean Health Minister Park Neunghoo, countries have been forced to sign contracts with these companies due to the “incomprehensible” nature of the pandemic. Seoul plans to start vaccination in February.
“It is almost universal in the world for companies to demand broad immunity from liability,” Park Neunghoo told a news conference, noting that Korean officials need time to analyze vaccine safety data because companies will not take responsibility. of the failures. “It is not so urgent for us to vaccinate the population before the potential risks have been identified.”
Herd immunity
These explanations are probably not very satisfactory for citizens of Asian economies, who were affected by the virus before the West and who, as a result, lived most of the year in masks, staying at home and strict rules to restrict social contact.
“Everyone is trying to survive, and I think countries should get vaccinated as soon as possible for those who agree to get vaccinated,” said Aron Harilela, chairman of Harilela Hotels Ltd. and former chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. “You may still be worried that you are making the wrong decision, but the whole world is being vaccinated, all economies will have their hands tied if we don’t show up.”
In New Zealand, which closed its borders early and stifled the spread of the virus, the opposition is critical of the country’s slow vaccination schedule, warning of a resurgence of virus outbreaks around the world and the emergence of more contagious strains. New Zealand plans to start vaccination in the second half of 2021.
Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson denied that the country was “just polite” and said other countries where deaths were increasing were a priority. “We are doing everything we can to get the vaccines as soon as possible,” Robertson told NewstalkZB.
Vaccination failures
Another reason for the slower process than in the West is that governments do not want failed vaccines to undermine public confidence in vaccines and potentially undermine plans to vaccinate enough populations to achieve herd immunity.
This is especially important in Asian populations, where confidence in vaccines is already low. According to a survey by the World Economic Forum and Ipsos examining the global approach to COVID-19 vaccines, the percentage of respondents who agree to get vaccinated between October and December. it fell to 9% during the period. points in countries like Korea and Japan; The latter is currently announcing a record number of new cases and plans to launch the vaccines in late February.
“Governments run the risk of being too rushed to buy vaccines at a very high price and then discovering that they cannot be used to their full potential or that they have expired, which would be a disaster,” said Jeremy Limas of Saw Swee. School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Associate Professor at Hock School of Public Health.
Officials also tried to lower expectations, arguing that vaccination would not allow restrictions to be lifted immediately, as it would take nearly a year for enough people to be vaccinated to be safe again. According to most health experts, to achieve herd immunity, or at least remember it, it is necessary to vaccinate 80%. population.
Limas adds that there is no point in rushing and ultimately vaccinating 65 percent and then stomping on the spot and not vaccinating the remaining 15 percent. “It doesn’t matter how fast you are,” he said. “It is important how strong you are when you reach the goal.”
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