A Vaccine for All
China and the United States are leading the rest of the world in the efforts to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Scientists around the world are working on more than 120 vaccines, while 11 have been approved for clinical trial so far. Of these 11 vaccines, five come from scientists in China and four from the U.S.
Although both countries have a lead in the development of a vaccine, their attitudes toward the future use of the vaccine are poles apart.
“America First” is the guiding principle of the Trump administration’s top-ranking officials, and the U.S. attitude to the application of a coronavirus vaccine fully complies with the “America First” strategy.
In March, the U.S. Government attempted to buy exclusive access to a potential vaccine developed by Curevac, a German biotech firm, but was thwarted by the German Government. Yet this rebuttal has done little to dampen U.S. efforts to seek exclusive rights to potential vaccines for the virus.
On May 13, Paul Hudson, CEO of French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi, told Bloomberg News that once his company develops a vaccine, it will be provided to the U.S. first, since the U.S. Government is funding its development. Although Hudson backtracked in the face of public condemnation of his comments, the Americans are still likely to have first access to Sanofi’s vaccine.
Guided by this “America First” strategy, U.S. politicians have taken every opportunity to discredit China. On May 24, National Security Advisor Robert C. O’brien claimed that the United States will be the first country to get a vaccine for COVID-19 and that China was stealing American research. Although his remarks were mocked by the international community, China must remain alert to smear campaigns from the U.S. in terms of future vaccine application.
The fact is that China’s COVID-19 vaccine has entered the second phase of clinical trial, while the U.S. attempt remains in the first stage. The world has high expectations for China. At a virtual event opening the 73rd World Health Assembly, President Xi Jinping announced that any COVID-19 vaccine developed by China will be made a global public good, to widespread applause.
In the battle against COVID-19, China has offered generous assistance to other countries, increasing information sharing on the disease, exchanging experience and effective measures, providing medical equipment and personnel, and cooperating in international vaccine
China sees the
world as a community with a shared future, an outlook that applies to both the fight against COVID-19 and
efforts to develop a vaccine