With 160 vaccines under development globally, countries are hammering out deals with pharmaceutical companies and state-owned firms. They hope, it will allow them to fully reopen economies that have taken a battering from trade disruptions, lockdowns and border closures.
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines have turned to Beijing; Singapore and Japan are partnering with US firms.
Experts say geopolitics factor into a particular nation’s choice, while pointing out the challenges inherent in wide-scale vaccinations. "If a country has a long history of good relations with China, then it can put those interests ahead of vaccine safety and efficacy," Jeremy Lim, Assistant Professor at the School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, told the South China Morning Post.
In addition, countries may be concerned about the cost of medicines, which means that large populations are choosing pharmaceutical companies with a cheaper product.
