Vaccine Wars
Globalization does bring the world closer together but not necessarily in harmony. Pretty much most of today’s technologically or scientifically advanced products are dependent on a global supply chain for manufacturing. Vaccine manufacturing is no exception and is dependent on multiple countries to deliver a complete product. Scientific discoveries and inventions are now mostly a result of global cooperation between scientists across multiple continents, the manufacturing happens in countries which provide cheap educated labor, and the raw materials are supplied by various countries all over the globe. The consumers are also global.
When it comes to public health, especially fighting a global pandemic that has taken over two million lives already and brought the world to a standstill, the treatments or vaccines need to be shared globally and with equality. However when it has come to the hard sought covid-19 vaccines, the beneficiaries are concentrated in high income western countries who have the buying power. The Global Health Equity Principle promoted by the European Union has seen its first cracks over the last few days and remarkably its source happens to be the European Union itself!
The European Union was late in approving the initial covid-19 vaccine candidates. The U.K. was the first nation to approve an emergency use of AstraZeneca-Oxford and later the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines followed by United States. In fact I recall the EU grabbing international headlines cautioning the U.K. and U.S.A. for making decisions in haste. Eventually when it did approve some promising vaccine candidates, it was late in placing orders with the manufacturers. Faced with serious concerns of new mutations, growing unrest amongst its population and a shortage of vaccines, it is now desperate for solutions as is rest of the world.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is manufactured in Europe. The company has said it cannot deliver the promised numbers as per its initial time frame. So now the European Union has taken the unprecedented steps to try and delay exports of AstraZeneca vaccines out of Europe! In fact under the label of “transparency” it wants to allow its member nations to potentially block exports by requiring members to individually approve the exports based on individual nations demand and supply status. Imagine the political ill will if some EU countries actually exercise this right? For an outside observer like me it seems like a clear blockade of exports and wanting to go ahead of the line and grab vaccines before the first eligible customers can get their orders! This could easily escalate further and spill into serious trade wars and do some serious damage to international diplomatic ties. The blame game and finger pointing has already begun, how far will the mudslinging go needs to be seen.
Given this new development, it makes me wonder who can now stop the capitalist corporations from trying to make more bucks amidst this chaos. If vaccine exports are indeed banned, then some pharmaceuticals might decide to reap heavy profits by offering future consignments to the highest bidders. Or charging extra for expedited delivery? After all aren’t we all charged more for expedited delivery on any online or catalog based shopping we do? So would this be technically so wrong? Regardless, everyone will be up in arms against the vaccine manufacturers calling them immoral opportunists! So where do we draw the line for a moral code of conduct?
Next the countries exporting raw materials might start holding its supplies hostage! What if they demand vaccines in exchange of its exports? With this move by the European Union, are we witnessing the beginning of a new battle of the Vaccine Wars?
I think the First Vaccine War Battle was to create a vaccine to fight the covid-19 virus and it is still on going as new variants are mushrooming (as expected). The Second Vaccine War Battle which is also still underway is to convince people to take the vaccine shots! And now the war cry for the Third Battle of the Vaccine Wars has been sounded by the European Union as desperate nations are desperately scrambling to buy the vaccines!! This Third Vaccine War could be quite dangerous and realign national interests and form new coalitions in foreseeable future. And it could easily lead to unnecessary Trade Wars.
I am also wondering that in light of all this, how is “globalization” affected? EU itself has been its champion and flag bearer!! The last thing we want is trade wars in the midst of a pandemic weary global economy. I can’t help but believe that globalization rules and definitions are going to be rewritten. For one we have all realized the world’s collective dependence on China in the early stages of the global lock down in 2020. Now it appears majority of vaccine production hinges on India’s capabilities as world’s largest vaccine manufacturer! This pandemic has certainly infused new blood in the anti-globalization debate and brought globalism to its knees.
Besides, if Europe is busy fighting over vaccines what should the poor and under developed nations do? Africa, South America? Sadly the economic disparity between nations or the power that money wields couldn’t be more evident than ever before. When it comes to matters of survival as in life and death, a nation’s ultimate economic interest or national politics, all principles and ideologies have been washed away! Every nation for itself! The same European Union which criticized Trump administration for banning export of masks to Canada is now taking steps to ban vaccine exports! Does this mean the rise of a new kind of Vaccine Nationalism?
During the Second World War, the allied nations came together as a collective force and defeated a rising tide of false nationalism and racism. Men and Women from North America to Europe to British colonies like India, etc. made sacrifices, got wounded and killed; on the battlefields and away from them. Why can’t we fight this pandemic war on a similar cooperative war footing? They say the world has come closer together in this age of internet and social media. Makes me wonder has it really come together when it matters “the” most? Who would have imagined this situation 12 months ago when nations were preparing to fight each other in the spirit of sports at the upcoming Tokyo Summer Olympics? We were to compete for medals with national pride and now we fight with vaccine nationalism!
I must say I have to applaud the Indian Prime Minister Mr. Modi’s Vaccine Diplomacy. It was always a generous but shrewd diplomatic gesture no doubt but now it appears as a stark contrast to what is unfolding in Europe. As of last week, the Indian government has sent free doses of Covaxin, its first indigenous vaccine, to Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives — more than 3.2 million in total. Some even to Brazil. Donations to Mauritius, Myanmar and Seychelles were set to follow. Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are next on the list! The tiny island nation of Maldives which survives purely on tourism has also received a US Dollar 150 million donation from India to fight the pandemic! (Maldives is extremely strategically located considering China’s new silk route designed to increase its dominance beyond the South China Sea). Agreed India has the world’s largest vaccine manufacturing capabilities but it also has the world’s largest population to vaccinate! And it is exporting vaccines manufactured by foreign pharmaceuticals to their international customers as well. So yet again this global pandemic is putting today’s national leaderships to test! Challenging the characters of leaders, increasing the popularity of some and ousting some from power. In US Trump was ousted due to his mishandling (rather mild word) of the covid-19 pandemic. President Biden seems to have made a very promising start so far and I wish him good luck!
Will these Vaccine Wars cause long lasting global ramifications? Or will efforts be made to patch the cracks before they grow into wide unbridgeable fissures? We have seen enough pain and suffering along with political and economic turmoil in 2020. More Vaccine Wars is the last thing this battle weary world needs. If every citizen just does his/her best to wear a mask and wash hands and maintain social distancing for just a few more months until a significant number of population is vaccinated, we can all avoid a potential catastrophe. I pray that countries don’t wilt under pressure and crumble, their leaderships and citizens alike, and they do not take actions that posterity might regret.
Patience is indeed a virtue. And as they say, when the going gets tough, the tough get going!
