Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Vaccines are a controversial diplomatic weapon in the United States, South Africa and Kenya

Caregivers await the March 5, 2021 AstraZeneca Govit-19 vaccination in Nairobi, Kenya. (Simon Myna / AFP)

As tensions develop between France and the UK over the provision of the astrogenic vaccine, other countries are showing greater solidarity with their neighbors. Resale of donations or quantities can also act as a diplomatic weapon. The Reporters’ Club takes us to the United States, South Africa and Kenya.

America is pouring out its unusable quantities

In the United States, Joe Biden finally decided to give millions of dollars to his neighbors Mexico and Canada. This is a real turning point for the US President. Until then, it’s “Americans First”, let’s see later. Still, it doesn’t have sizes.

There are three vaccines on the US market: Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson. 700 million doses have been ordered, yet not mentioned in the many million AstraZeneca boxes. The vaccine, developed with the University of Oxford, is not yet recognized in the United States. Of these quantities of AstraZeneca it will be sent to Canada precisely: one and a half million needles. A further two and a half million people will travel to Mexico, the third country most affected by the Govt. This decision does not involve much of the United States as this quantity is currently unusable on American soil.

Joe Biden’s breakthrough, after all, is undoubtedly not free from political external motives. For the United States, it is a question of helping its first two trading partners recover from the crisis. Essential is health, economy and undoubtedly ethics. Even capturing China and Russia on the basis of vaccine diplomacy. Finally, the decision of the US President may be related to the first major crisis of his decree. A humanitarian crisis in which thousands of immigrants have gathered on the Mexican border. Mexico City, which has faced this situation, has promised to help Washington. The media wonders: Was there an “exchange of good practices”? The White House denies it, but one cannot help but notice that Joe Biden, who has not been flexible in sharing vaccines until then, changed his mind when Mexico needed him.

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South Africa is also getting rid of the astrogenic vaccine

South Africa has resold the AstraZeneca vaccine against Govt-19 to the African Union. The South African government withdrew from the vaccine after the negative results of a local study. He pointed to the ineffectiveness of the British vaccine in mild forms of the disease due to the South African variant. From this discovery, South Africa sought to sell its volume without wasting money and time.

The South African government has been in a race against time since the dose expired at the end of April. So it was urgent to find a buyer at the risk of wasting seven million euros. It should be noted that South Africa’s reluctance regarding the effectiveness of the vaccine was not bought by the World Health Organization, or the African Union, but by the purchase price of the goods. So 14 African countries are benefiting from this.

Govt-19: Five keys to understanding vaccine campaigns in Africa

South Africa is protecting its funds, but is it lagging behind in its vaccination campaign? Shabir Mathi, an immunologist who is an official in the country, said he was heartbroken to see AstraZeneca’s levels go up. According to him, they may have been managed for the most vulnerable people. Manufacturer Johnson & Johnson has acquired its Johnson vaccine, but exports are very small. The vaccine expert says the goal of vaccinating 40 million South Africans by the end of the year will not be achieved. He fears a third wave of epidemics in the coming weeks, while South Africa is the most miserable country on the African continent with more than 50,000 dead.

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Kenya is vaccinating foreign diplomats who anger health workers

Vaccine diplomacy is also controversial in Kenya. Authorities distributed several thousand doses of Govt-19 vaccines to diplomats and UN staff living in the country. These are the doses Kenya received for the Kovacs Unity device launched by the WHO.

These vaccines are available to embassy staff and UN residents in Nairobi. Are provided to officers and their families. In total, 25,000 to 30,000 people. Many embassies have already received these vaccines. The United Nations, for its part, ensures that only its employees who are at risk at this time are vaccinated. This distribution to diplomats provokes the anger of health workers. Only a few of them have received the first injection so far because the country is facing a severe third wave. Hospitals are crowded, caregivers are exhausted and less armed.

This way the ownership goes very badly. Local newspapers talk of support out of nowhere, and reminds us that the Kovacs system is designed for vulnerable people, not for wealthy foreigners living in the capital’s beautiful districts. Why this donation? Why is Kenya interested in giving her vaccines? Because officially he is “Everyone living in Kenya must be protected, whether foreigners or locals.”

In fact, Kenya has always had its citizen ambassadors and the UN. Nairobi has hosted the United Nations Headquarters in Africa for 40 years. This is the first time for Kenya on the world stage. This is a significant financial fall above all because it attracts foreigners, promises investors, brings in rich people, and it must be kept at all costs. These officers sometimes enjoy this kind of privilege.

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