The battle over vaccine distribution between the U.S./Europe and China or Russia is over before it even started, declared a new report by the Economist Intelligence Unit. “It is likely that the damage to the reputation of Western countries has already been done and will be hard to repair,” according to the EIU’s assessment. 

Key Highlights From the EIU’s Report on “What Next For Vaccine Diplomacy?”

• IT’S ALREADY TOO LATE FOR THE WEST TO CATCH UP: “G7 states are increasingly concerned about being perceived as unreliable partners by developing countries… Overall, the vaccine diplomacy efforts of Western states are likely to begin too late to catch up with those of Russia and China, which are so far winning the public relations battle.”

• BEIJING & MOSCOW HAVE LONG HORIZONS: “Russia and China are playing a long game with vaccine diplomacy. Their intention is not only to win plaudits for fulfilling a short-term need but to cement their influence over the long term. Both countries are establishing vaccine facilities across the world and training local workers from emerging countries, betting that such a strategy will boost their presence on the ground for decades to come.”

Read the full report on the EIU website.