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Showing posts with label vaccines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vaccines. Show all posts

Sunday, September 5, 2021

US needs to work with China in pandemic fight; Let’s return to reason and science:US economist

 

Expert: Both countries should cooperate in fight against pandemic

Prof Dr Jeffrey Sachs

 

 

KUALA LUMPUR: The United States needs to work with China to find a global solution in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, says prominent academician Prof Dr Jeffrey Sachs

“This is tragic, since China has done an excellent job of suppressing the pandemic, and the world could and should have learned a lot more from China’s response.

The United States should learn some good manners to work cooperatively with China, rather than trying to impose its will on that nation,” the head of the Lancet Covid-19 Commission said.

In an email interview, the Columbia University lecturer was asked to comment on the increasing friction between the US and China over the origins of the coronavirus and the pressure on the World Health Organisation to conduct another round of investigations to determine the source of the problem.

“Both governments have information that they should add to the investigation of the origin of the virus.

“Indeed, much of the research underway at the Wuhan Institute of Virology was a joint US-China project, with funding by the US.

“Therefore, there is no cause for finger-pointing by one country towards the other. We need scientific cooperation between the US and China in the search for the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19,” he added.

On how the synergy can be established and areas to focus on, Dr Sachs said “scientists from the two countries have actually been working together on SARS-like viruses”.

“The two governments should be cooperating transparently together. Both should be adding more information to the investigation. The US should acknowledge its role in the laboratory work, and therefore, its co-responsibility in investigating the possible origins of the virus.”

Dr Sachs said rich countries had also not generously shared their knowledge, especially on vaccines, adding that the major regions including the United States, Euro­pean Union, China, India, Russia and Asean had not attempted any kind of coordinated response.

“The global financing system has favoured the rich countries, providing too little support to developing countries,” he said.

“The culture in many societies – such as the United States – has put personal behaviour ahead of the social good.

“In the name of ‘liberty’, Americans have failed to follow basic rules and protocols, and the disease has therefore been allowed to run rampant in the US.”

WONG CHUN WAI

> See the full interview on Let’s return to reason and science - Award-winning Jeffrey D. Sachs is an economics professor, best-selling author, innovative educator and a global leader in sustainable development. He serves as the director of the Center for Sustainable Develop­ment at Columbia University in New York, and is a University Professor, Columbia’s highest academic rank.

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 Let’s return to reason and science

  Looking ahead: Malaysia’s Institute for Medical Research is currently working on a few Covid-19 vaccines. — SAMUEL ONG/The Star

 Internationally renowned academician Professor Dr Jeffrey Sachs, who heads the Lancet Covid-19 Commission, shares his views in an exclusive interview on the fight against the pandemic, the US-China rivalry and his call to Malaysia to produce its own vaccine.


The United States should learn some good manners to work cooperatively with China, rather than trying to impose its will on that nation," said renowned U.S. economist Jeffrey Sachs.

 Prof Dr Sachs: Malaysia started late in vaccination because it’s not a vaccine producer, but now, the country is catching up. Malaysia should aim to produce vaccines in the future. 

Prof Dr Sachs: Malaysia started late in vaccination because it’s not a vaccine producer, but now, the country is catching up. Malaysia should aim to produce vaccines in the future.

> The Lancet Covid-19 Commission was created to help speed up global, equitable and lasting solutions to the pandemic. How much has been achieved and what are the hurdles?

The global response to the pandemic has been wholly inadequate. This results from five main factors:

(1) The epidemic has been handled as a matter of national policy-making, without adequate regional and global coordination;

(2) The major regions, including the US, EU, China, India, Russia and Asean, have not attempted any kind of coordinated response;

(3) The rich countries have not fairly shared their technologies, especially on vaccines;

(4) The global financing system has favoured the rich countries, providing too little support to the developing countries;

(5) The culture in many societies – such as the United States – have put personal behaviour ahead of the social good. In the name of “liberty”, Americans have failed to follow basic rules and protocols, and the disease has therefore been allowed to run rampant in the United States.

Perhaps the main geopolitical problem has been the failure of the US to work with China for global solutions. This is tragic, since China has done an excellent job of suppressing the pandemic, and the world could and should have learned a lot more from China’s response.

> On a personal level, what is your role?

I am participating in policy discussions almost daily with governments and international organisations, as well as with the Commissioners and the experts on our various task forces. My job is to help coordinate the work of the Commission, and to oversee the drafting of various statements and the final report, which will be published in mid-2022.

While the world still battles the raging pandemic, new variants have surfaced, making it harder to contain the problem.

> What are your views on the continuing obstacles?

The delta variant has been a huge setback, but given the faulty policies by so many governments around the world, the emergence of new variants like delta has been made much more likely by the delays in comprehensively suppressing the virus. We should have known better but failed to act wisely.

> Vaccination remains the most effective way to fight the pandemic. What is your view on how Malaysia is handling its vaccination exercise?

We know that the vaccines are not enough to stop transmission – as Israel has shown (with high vaccine coverage but a strong epidemic). Vaccines cut serious disease, but do not stop transmission by themselves. Thus, countries need to combine vaccination with strong suppression policies (based on social distancing, prohibition of super-spreader events, face mask wearing, widespread and readily available testing, emphasis on outdoor rather than indoor activities, contact tracing, and other measures). Malaysia started late in vaccination because it’s not a vaccine producer, but now, the country is catching up. Malaysia should aim to produce vaccines in the future.

> Obtaining vaccines continues to be an issue for many developing countries. It’s worse in Africa. How real is the hoarding of vaccines by powerful developed countries?

Very real. The failure of the vaccine-producing countries to come up with a plan to scale up production and distribution of vaccines to developing countries is a great disappointment. It is a moral failure as well as a practical failure, leading to more deaths and more chances of dangerous variants.

> Many scientists have said the third vaccination – the booster – isn’t necessary as it will further deprive many countries from having access to the supply. What are your thoughts?

The evidence is not comprehensive, but it is a shame for rich countries to give the third dose without even a plan for the first dose in much of the world. That is unwise, unfair, and immoral in my view. The US, China, Russia, EU, UK, and India should present a coherent, coordinated plan for global vaccination coverage, and the US and EU should waive IP (intellectual property) to facilitate the scale-up of vaccine production in more countries. China, for example, should be helped to speed the production of mRNA vaccines.

> Ordinary people are overloaded with all kinds of information. Vaccines – whether they are Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Sinovac, are basically the same, but because the US, Europe and China have adopted different requirements, it has led to anxiety for securing entry into these countries. What are your views on this?

Once again, there is too little coordination and cooperation among the major countries, and too little sharing of information.

> Can you comment on how politics, especially geopolitical rivalry, can be separated from science?

The United States should learn some good manners, to work cooperatively with China rather than try to impose its will on the country.

> What is your comment on the increasing friction between China and the US over the origins of the coronavirus and the pressure on the WHO to have another round of investigations to determine its source?

Both governments have information that they should add to the investigation on the origin of the virus. Indeed, much of the research underway at the Wuhan Institute of Virology was a joint US-China project, with funding by the US. Therefore, there is no cause for finger-pointing by one country at the other. We need scientific cooperation between the US and China in the search for the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

> What should the US and China be doing in the fight against the pandemic, instead of having this side issue? How can both sides work together and in what areas can they combine resources? Both sides have accused each other of the virus originating from lab leaks.

As I just mentioned, scientists from the two countries have actually been working together on SARS-like viruses. The two governments should be cooperating transparently together. Both should be adding more information to the investigation. The US should acknowledge its role in the laboratory work, and therefore, its co-responsibility in investigating the possible origins of the virus.

> The WHO’s team, comprising experts from China and other countries, arrived in Wuhan for a month’s investigations into the origins of the virus. There is now another request for a follow up probe while China has also demanded a separate investigation into Fort Detrick in the US. What is your take?

We need a clear investigation of the joint US-China research programme to see if, by some terrible accident, it somehow contributed to a research-related spill over event. That is one hypothesis that needs investigation, along with various possibilities of natural spill over events.

> Finally, in the post Covid-19 pandemic world, how should the world and health experts brace for more infectious diseases?

We have many disease crises around the world, ranging from known infectious diseases that are not yet properly controlled (such as Malaria, worm infections, TB, HIV, etc.), as well as emerging infectious diseases such as Covid-19, non-communicable diseases (such as the global diabetes epidemic), and environmental ills (such as lung and cardiovascular diseases caused by air pollution). We should be investing far more resources into epidemiology, disease surveillance, disease prevention, and disease treatments. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria should become the Global Health Fund, to finance the response to the global disease burden in developing countries. All of this requires foresight, long-term thinking, and more resources from the rich world

 

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US needs to work with China in pandemic fight: US economist

 

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Sunday, February 21, 2021

Convincing the non-believers for vaccination


With the Covid-19 vaccine rollout starting soon, the onus is on the government to engage the fence sitters.


RECENT news that Indonesia has made Covid-19 vaccination for its citizens compulsory has given rise to speculation that Malaysia could follow suit.

With the National Covid-19 Immunisation Plan around the corner, the government machinery has swung into gear to convince the people that vaccination is the only way out of this pandemic that has imprisoned our lives.

The government has already hinted of fines for those who decline the vaccine and there is also a possibility that individuals who reject the vaccination could have their movements restricted. This means that they will be barred from entering business premises or restaurants.

While there are no plans at this time to draw up legislation to make it compulsory for everyone to be vaccinated, the sledgehammer approach may not be as effective as we think.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) believes that making vaccines compulsory is counter-productive, as it will increase vaccine hesitancy that is already present.

I believe that Malaysians can be divided into three categories: proponents of the vaccine, anti-vaxxers and the fence sitters, people who though unopposed to taking the vaccine, are yet to be convinced that vaccination is essential for herd immunity.

It will be nigh on impossible for the government to convince the anti-vaxxer movement. They may be small in number, but these fellow Malaysians, like others around the world, are dead set against the vaccination plan.

In fact, some of these anti-vaxxers are also Covid-19 deniers. They believe that the pandemic is a conspiracy that has been exaggerated by the media and that Covid-19 is a hoax.

So no amount of cajoling or threats are going to make them change their minds. It is the third category that the government should focus on – Malaysians who are wary or unsure of taking the vaccine.

There needs to be a massive public relations drive to reach these fence sitters. From vaccine safety issues to side effects, from registration protocols to logistical challenges, the government needs to address the concerns of this segment of the populace. Public education is going to be key, not harsh fines, penalties and sanctions.

And it should not only be government agencies that embark on this blitz. Key opinion leaders, influencers and NGOs should be roped in to assist in this, our biggest ever immunisation programme.

Of crucial importance is getting the vaccination message across to the rural areas and not just our urban centres.

The government made the right move by also allowing free vaccinations for foreign workers. There must now be a concerted effort to get undocumented foreign workers to also come forward to receive vaccines. There could be as many as a million undocumented workers in the country, and if they are not vaccinated, our objective of reaching herd immunity will not come to fruition.

It should be pointed out that we will not be taking shortcuts to achieving herd immunity.

The Pfizer vaccine that will arrive on Sunday requires two doses, 21 days apart. Even though other countries have spaced this out to as much as eight weeks, thereby vaccinating a greater number of people, Malaysian authorities have already confirmed that they will stick to the manufacturer’s recommended dosage.

But in the race to vaccinate its populations, we are already behind many countries.

For example, more than 15 million people in the United Kingdom have already received their dose. This works out to almost 24 doses per 100 residents.

In the United States it’s 16 doses per 100 and in the European Union as at mid February it is five doses per 100 residents.

Surprisingly France, which has one of the best public healthcare systems in the world, has been slow to administer vaccines to its population. This could be because of the strong anti-vaccine sentiment in the country.

A poll last year revealed that only 54% of French were willing to be immunised.

So, that should be a concern for our government too. We need to do our best to combat anti-vaccine propaganda because we have no time to lose.

As more of the world is vaccinated, travel bubbles will open up. Soon travellers will be required to show a digital health passport, possibly via an app on your phone that proves you have been vaccinated.

This may be the only way travel restrictions will be lifted.

As more companies roll out vaccinations, Covid-19 doses will eventually become as common as a flu shot. That is a reality that Malaysians must expect and embrace.

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Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Vaccine distribution shouldn’t lead to catastrophic moral failure

 

Inactivated COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac produced by Chinese vaccine developer Sinovac Photo: Courtesy of Sinovac

 

Chinese vaccines gaining momentum overseas




https://youtu.be/WV2v8osGAa4

WHO chief blasts rich countries for hoarding vaccines



https://youtu.be/2SFm_lc_r0k


WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday lashed out at inequitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. He said most of the vaccines "have now been administered" in rich countries. "The world is on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure - and the price of this failure will be paid with lives and livelihoods in the world's poorest countries," he warned.

For now, seven COVID-19 vaccine candidates have been administered worldwide, the key of which are the US-developed and China-developed ones. The US-made vaccines have basically flowed to developed countries, while the China ones have mainly gone to developing countries.

Among rich countries that use US vaccines, the US has vaccinated 12 million people, ranking the first. 4.31 million doses (including the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine) have been administered in the UK, topping European countries. Canada reportedly has ordered enough vaccine doses to protect each Canadian five times. Three members of the Five Eyes alliance have left others way behind them in vaccine distribution. They have prioritized their own demands amid short vaccine supply, though Britain claimed it raised donations to help vulnerable countries access COVID-19 vaccines.

The US, the UK and Canada all shout loudly for developing countries' human rights. But they are the ones contributing to "a catastrophic moral failure" that Ghebreyesus said. When the interests of their own countries are not involved, they express concerns about human rights of other countries. But when they need to take real actions to help other countries realize human rights, they retract their heads as turtles.

Vaccines developed by Chinese companies have become a key resource to break rich countries' privilege and safeguard developing countries' rights. Chinese vaccines are cheap, easy to be transported and used all over the world. Besides, China has an explosive vaccine production capability and it has a greater surplus to provide the outside world, since the domestic epidemic in China has been relatively alleviated.

At the initial stage of distribution when supply is short, US vaccines will inevitably go to developed countries. The Five Eyes countries know this well. According to the WHO, it took over 10 years for life-saving HIV/AIDS drugs to reach poor countries after its invention. When the poor countries could put the HINI vaccines into use, the epidemic had already been over. Based on the vaccine distribution order in the past, developing countries will undergo many delays and setbacks to get US COVID-19 vaccines.

The Chinese vaccines are an important humanitarian supplement, but the US and its major allies have taken a cold attitude and even disparaged Chinese vaccines. They didn't offer much help in Chinese vaccines' Phase III trials. Particularly, Western public opinion in general is not friendly. It is keen on hyping and exaggerating any information unfavorable to Chinese vaccines and accuses China of engaging in "vaccine diplomacy."

This has formed a sharp contrast with the fact that Western public opinion influencers are flattering Pfizer vaccines and downplaying news the vaccines caused deaths.

This represents vaccine nationalism and egoism that disregards the urgent humanitarian demands, giving rise to an atmosphere in which political prejudice dominates the pandemic fight. Unity is lacking in the fight against the virus, mainly because of the negative attitudes of the US and its major allies.

On the other hand, the top leaders in several countries such as Indonesia, Turkey, Seychelles, Serbia and the Philippines have strongly backed Chinese vaccines. Some even publicly got vaccinated with Chinese vaccines. This has had a positive impact on the confidence of developing countries with Chinese vaccines. They are safeguarding the rights of developing countries to get vaccinated simultaneously with developed countries and they are bravely pursuing fairness.

US and Chinese vaccines have their own advantages. They are supposed to cooperate with each other closely to fight the novel coronavirus. Besides prices and logistical factors, their usage in developed and developing countries should not be affected by politics. Don't let the "catastrophic moral failure" become reality and consolidated. It must be stressed that the coronavirus is the common foe of humanity, and the battlefield and tools that fight against it cannot be separated.

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