Says EU trying to “hostage” AstraZeneca vaccines produced in European bloc
(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte noted how the European Union (EU) had been pressuring Oxford-AstraZeneca on its vaccine supplies, as the European bloc threatened to block AstraZeneca vaccine exports outside EU.
Duterte noted that this was just the way it is: rich countries will try to hog vaccines as supplies dwindle. Countries where the vaccines are manufactured will also naturally have the advantage of getting more of their share of the vaccines.
He said that the Philippines and other developing countries are at a disadvantage since the battle to get the COVID-19 vaccines is usually won by the highest bidder.
“Alam mo ho itong problema talaga ng COVID hindi ganoon kadali. For one, ang greatest disadvantage natin is hindi tayo mayaman at ito labanan ito ngayon sa highest bidder nga. Kung sino ‘yung makabayad ng una, mag-deposito na, tapos lalo na kung ‘yung bansa na ‘yon ang humihingi ng supply ng vaccine is the country where the factory is located — tawagin natin factory — nandiyan, nauuna talaga sa kanila,” the Philippine leader said.
But AstraZeneca had made it a point to commit to sell its vaccines at a “no profit scheme” at only $5 per dose to developing countries. They also committed to the World Health Organization’s COVAX Facility which ensures equitable distribution of the vaccines even to the poor and developing countries.
Because of this WHO had also expressed concern about the EU’s threat to prevent exports of the AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured in EU.
-WHO chief warns against “vaccine nationalism”-
No less than WHO chief Dr.Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned Friday against “vaccine nationalism”, saying there was a “real danger that the very tools that could help to end the pandemic -– vaccines –- may exacerbate” global inequality.
“Vaccine nationalism might serve short-term political goals. But it’s ultimately short-sighted and self-defeating. We will not end the pandemic anywhere until we end it everywhere,” the WHO chief said.
Duterte described what the EU had tried to do as a hostaging situation.
“Meanwhile, the European Commission launched a new mechanism on Friday to monitor and in some cases block — barahin — coronavirus vaccines exports out of the European Union. The European Union has voiced concerns that vaccines could not be sent abroad — could be sent abroad before companies fulfilling obligations in their bloc,” the Philippine leader said as he read a news report about the issue.
“The problem is ‘yung bakuna. For all of the brouhaha, ‘O mayroon kami dito nakita, mayroon kami…’ Saan? Eh ‘yung AstraZeneca hinostage (hostage) ng European Union,” he said.
-Duterte: ASEAN not as powerful as EU-
Duterte also noted how the EU is more powerful than the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) where the Philippines belongs, along with 10 other Southeast Asian nations. The other ASEAN member countries are Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
“Ang atin dito ASEAN but we are not really as powerful as the EU. Eh wala tayong connection, wala tayong mga — wala tayong pera. May pera tayo pero naka-ready lang, standby,” he said.
What President Duterte had observed was also what the World Health Organization had also noted with concern.
“When a village is on fire, it makes no sense for a small group of people to hoard all the extinguishers to defend their own houses,” said WHO Director General Dr. Tedros in a speech on Jan. 29.
“The fire will be put out faster if everyone has an extinguisher and works together, in unison. More vaccines are being developed, approved and produced. There will be enough for everyone,” he said.
“But for now, vaccines are a limited resource. We must use them as effectively and as fairly as we can. If we do that, lives will be saved,” the WHO chief added.
As of the latest development, EU had backtracked over threats to restrict vaccine exports to Northern Ireland after London voiced “grave concerns” over the proposed move.
(Eagle News Service)