After Disappointing Sinovac Trial, Beijing Snipes at Western Vaccines
Posted by John Chan | Jan 21, 2021
A week after stage three trial data from Brazil revealed lower-than-expected efficacy numbers for one of China’s main coronavirus vaccines, Beijing’s spokespersons and several reputable Chinese experts have doubled down on a new tactic to promote their vaccine: sniping at competitors. From accusing Western media of covering up deaths associated with the Pfizer vaccine to doubling down on conspiracy theories that the virus came from a U.S. military lab, media and official representatives have been fanning the flames of the kind of “vaccine nationalism” it once echoed warnings to avoid. The Washington Post’s Gerry Shih