Several countries in the Americas have received their first shipments of vaccines in recent weeks – not from the regional superpower or Western pharmaceutical giants, but from China, Russia and, in some cases, India.
Why does it matter: North and South America were hit by the pandemic and recorded several of the highest mortality rates in the world. Few countries, apart from the United States, have the capacity to manufacture vaccines on a large scale, and most do not have the resources to buy their way to the front line of imports. This led to a dispute over any available supplies.
- Only Chile (17%), United States (15%), Barbados (12%), Canada (3%), Brazil (3%), Argentina (2%), Mexico (2%), Costa Rica (1%) and Panama were able to provide a first dose to at least 1% of their populations.
Driving the news: Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador – who has protested the “hoarding” of vaccines by rich countries – should ask President Biden at his virtual meeting on Monday to share a portion of the United States’ vaccine supply with Mexico .
- Before the meeting, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the answer would be “no”, at least until all Americans have access.
- Canada, which has bought more doses in relation to its population than any other country, but has had difficulty obtaining them due to limited manufacturing capacity, has received a similar response from Washington.
The current situation: Other global powers to have started sending doses to the region. At least 10 Latin American countries have obtained the Russian Sputnik V vaccine or hope to get it soon, while another 10 expect doses of Sinovac or Sinopharm from China.
- Argentina was one of the first countries in the region to start its launch, using Sputnik V, while Chile rose to the top of the vaccination tables using a combination of Pfizer and Sinovac.
- Meanwhile, most of the doses that have arrived in the Caribbean so far have come from India, which has become a global player in vaccine distribution due to its enormous manufacturing capacity. New Delhi donated doses of Oxford / AstraZeneca to countries like Barbados and Dominica.
- Israel entered the game of “vaccine diplomacy” on a small scale, sending 5,000 doses each to friendly governments in Guatemala and Honduras.
- Worthless: At least eight countries have signed bilateral agreements with Pfizer or AstraZeneca. Cuba, in turn, is betting on a vaccine developed internally.
Zoom In: While Bolivia was negotiating the purchase of 5.2 million doses of Sputnik in December, at $ 10 per injection, the government was also negotiating with Western pharmaceutical companies that “told the developing countries that we had to wait until June,” he said. Commerce Minister Benjamin Blanco told Reuters. .
- Bolivian President Luis Arce punched the runway when Sputnik’s first shipment arrived. At the same time, he spoke with Vladimir Putin about potential joint energy projects.
- But although Psaki warned last month that Russia and China could use vaccines to increase their influence over other countries, it is Pfizer that was accused of intimidating Latin American countries during the negotiations.
Vaccines arriving from Russia and China are often received with great fanfare, with political leaders and TV cameras at their disposal.
Yes but: Shipments are usually very small.
- So far, Russia has provided Bolivia with 20,000 doses and Paraguay with 4,000, enough to cover a fraction of 1% of its population.
- Both Russia and China will face manufacturing capacity challenges to cover their own populations, let alone send doses around the world.
However, offers to produce the Sinovac and Sputnik vaccines in Brazil and Sputnik in Argentina are expected to boost supply. Crucially, vaccines do not require ultra-cold temperatures.
- However, questions about effectiveness remain, particularly for Chinese vaccines. A trial in Brazil found that the Sinovac vaccine was only 50.4% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, although it was more effective in preventing severe cases.
- And while the two countries are clearly earning diplomatic points, several surveys have found that many in Latin America would be less willing to get a Russian or Chinese vaccine than a Western alternative.
What to watch: This summer, the United States and other wealthy countries are likely to be prepared to share doses internationally, significantly changing the picture of vaccine diplomacy.
- The global COVAX initiative, which is crucial to vaccination prospects in the Americas, will also begin to increase distribution this month. It is expected to quickly overtake Russia and China as the largest source of vaccines for several countries.
The end result: Moscow and Beijing may have obtained lasting goodwill and influence in the region by intervening when vaccines were scarce.