Source:
https://scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3116787/china-must-explain-its-role-philippines-coronavirus-vaccine Opinion
China must explain its role in Philippines coronavirus vaccine scandal
- President Rodrigo Duterte’s security detail received unapproved Chinese-made Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine doses in September last year
- Manila is investigating, but Beijing must also clarify, which will help address concerns about its vaccines and commitment to a shared community of health
Chinese state-owned company Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccine was approved for general use last week – but was used in the Philippines as far back as September last year. Photo: Xinhua
The Philippines is currently embroiled in a vaccine scandal as it investigates the unauthorised use of a Chinese-made coronavirus vaccine last year.
Last week, President Rodrigo Duterte’s security team admitted that several soldiers had injected themselves four months ago with a Chinese Covid-19 vaccine not yet approved by Philippine regulators.
Even though Duterte has pushed back against legislative attempts to probe the unauthorised use, the Senate is expected to proceed with an inquiry next week.
But the heat should not just be on those in the Philippines who allowed the vaccine developed by Chinese state-owned pharmaceutical company Sinopharm to be illegally imported and administered.
China also has a duty to explain how its vaccine found its way into the Southeast Asian country. Defence secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the shots were “smuggled” into the Philippines, while the president’s office said they were offered as a “gift”.
In September, Sinopharm reportedly inoculated volunteers in China with its vaccine which was then a vaccine candidate, or a product still undergoing clinical trials to test its efficacy and safety.
The vaccine – which was only approved for general public use in China last week – should rightfully have been strictly monitored both in its production and distribution.
Even if overseas buyers or smugglers are eager to get their hands on vaccines, responsible providers should resist this temptation when clinical trials are yet to be completed. Especially if they know the vaccines will be transported and shipped as unauthorised medicine.
According to reports, Sinopharm is applying this week for its vaccine to be cleared for emergency use in the Philippines. So it is mind-boggling to think that as far back as September, the vaccine had already been administered not only to troops but also to Chinese workers in the country.
Unlike other commercial products, the Covid-19 vaccine is not only unprecedented but has also been described as a global public good, no less than by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
But it is precisely because it is a much sought-after public good that impacts on the health of countless people that vaccine-producing countries and firms should dutifully showcase their sense of responsibility when it comes to the appropriate production and legitimate distribution of their vaccines.
Just as Filipino senators are calling on Manila to identify and prosecute those behind the “smuggled and unverified” vaccine doses, China should also do likewise and identify individuals or procedures that are responsible.
Doing so will go some way in addressing lingering concerns about the efficacy and safety of Chinese vaccines, and will also lend credence to China’s claims that it is committed to a shared community of health for all.