China needs to maneuver past political considerations and have a look at importing Covid-19 jabs to finish the pandemic globally, in response to the chief executive of the world’s latest vaccine manufacturer.
“They should open themselves as much as healthcare and vaccines from the West and put aside any political issues or things which are holding them back,” Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India, told CNBC’s Joumanna Bercetche on the World Economic Forum in Davos.
China has experienced an enormous spike in Covid-19 cases and fatalities after abruptly ending its zero-Covid policy, which imposed strict lockdowns, mass testing and quarantine on arrival into the country.
China’s full Covid vaccination rate is almost 87%, in response to World Health Organization figures, which show 54% of the population has also been inoculated with a booster jab.
The major Covid vaccines approved to be used in China are from Sinovac and Sinopharm. These jabs are less effective against the Omicron variant than are other mRNA vaccines, similar to Pfizer and BioNTech’s, several studies have found.
Poonawalla said China’s pandemic response of 2020 — which included constructing hospitals and infrastructure and taking precautions — showed that Beijing could respond rapidly.
He stressed China’s decision to not import vaccines from the U.S., India and elsewhere, which have been “very effective.”
“I believe they could have to actually seriously have a look at doing that now, as a booster not less than, and take vaccines which have proven, real-world data and efficacy,” he told CNBC. “Otherwise the choice is that numerous people in China are going to proceed to get infected and we just hope — we wish them one of the best of luck in trying to administer that crisis and are available out of it as soon as possible.”
He added that this also represents a worldwide issue, given the number of people that wish to travel to China for business or leisure, in addition to the variety of Chinese nationals who can be travelling overseas.
“We actually need to finish the pandemic and infection in every country, because all of us must be secure,” Poonawalla said.
“They’re [China] still making up their minds on which way they wish to go and I hope all of it ends quickly.”
The Pune-based Serum Institute of India produces greater than 1.5 billion vaccine doses annually for various diseases. Poonawalla said that the corporate would have an interest to offer vaccines to China, but that discussions with Beijing officials had been unsuccessful thus far.
CNBC has contacted a Chinese government representative for comment.
