China has been praised for its "vaccine diplomacy," promising shots to developing countries and investing in vaccine candidates that do not require expensive cold storage to be effective. But the promotion of vaccine disinformation could have major repercussions, not only in the US but also in China. "Almost everybody that I know is scrambling to buy this Pfizer (vaccine)," Duterte said in addressing calls from some lawmakers to prioritize the US manufacturer's shots over Chinese vaccines. His comments were quickly picked up by Chinese media , feeding another round of disinformation. But such an effort will be undermined if, along with vaccines, China is also exporting misinformation and hesitancy.

Source: CNN January 26, 2021 05:47 UTC