Waiting on mRNA Shots
Bloomberg Businessweek|May 02, 2022
Beijing refuses to allow Western vaccines even as the development of Chinese ones lags
By Bruce Einhorn and Dong Lyu
Waiting on mRNA Shots

A senior citizen receives a Covid shot at a Beijing mobile vaccination site in April

China's government has demonstrated it's willing to go to extremes in its quest to contain the virus. But one thing it has so far been unwilling to do is deploy a powerful tool against the highly contagious omicron variant: mRNA vaccines. These shots could reduce the chances of elderly and other vulnerable Chinese getting seriously ill or dying and possibly help the country transition out of Covid Zero.

Lining up the necessary supplies shouldn't be a problem. Toward the end of 2020, Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. reached a deal with Germany's BioNTech SE to distribute 100 million doses of the mRNA vaccine the German company co-developed with Pfizer Inc., once China's drug regulator gave the green light. Approval is still pending, though. Worldwide data clearly indicates mRNA is the gold standard, says Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, which wrote to the Chinese government in April urging it to allow the shots. Why waste time and wait? For what?

The wait, many analysts say, is for a local company to come up with its own mRNA vaccine. Since the start of the pandemic, China's government has touted self-reliance in fighting Covid, promoting domestic vaccines based on inactivated versions of the virus and barring all foreign ones from the market. Slightly more than 88% of China's 1.4 billion people have received two doses of those shots. Opening up to foreign-made mRNA vaccines risks embarrassing President Xi Jinping and other officials, says Allison Hills, senior consultant in London with Eradigm Consulting. For them to say now we are accepting BioNTech, she says, it's tantamount to saying ours are not as good.

Denne historien er fra May 02, 2022-utgaven av Bloomberg Businessweek.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra May 02, 2022-utgaven av Bloomberg Businessweek.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEKSe alt
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App

The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts

time-read
4 mins  |
March 13, 2023
Running in Circles
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Running in Circles

A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Bloomberg Businessweek US

What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort

Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.

time-read
10 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto
Bloomberg Businessweek US

How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto

The best restaurant in the world just began its second pop-up in Japan. Here's what's cooking

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
The Last-Mover Problem
Bloomberg Businessweek US

The Last-Mover Problem

A startup called Sennder is trying to bring an extremely tech-resistant industry into the age of apps

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Tick Tock, TikTok
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Tick Tock, TikTok

The US thinks the Chinese-owned social media app is a major national security risk. TikTok is running out of ways to avoid a ban

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria

A UK company produces colors with less water than conventional methods and no toxic chemicals

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Pumping Heat in Hamburg
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Pumping Heat in Hamburg

The German port city plans to store hot water underground and bring it up to heat homes in the winter

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge

Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
New Money, New Problems
Bloomberg Businessweek US

New Money, New Problems

In Naples, an influx of wealthy is displacing out-of-towners lower-income workers

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023