Philippines, Sinovac React to U.S. Vaccine Disinformation Campaign

A nurse shows the Sinovac COVID19 vaccine to the media during a ceremonial vaccination program held inside a sports stadium in Marikina City, east of Manila, Philippines on 02 March 2021. George Calvelo/NurPhoto via AFP

Both the Philippines government and Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac reacted angrily to news that the United States military engaged in a prolonged disinformation campaign to discourage the use of Chinese vaccines in the Southeast Asian country at the height of the pandemic.

News of the Pentagon’s efforts broke on Friday when Reuters published a blockbuster report that detailed how the Pentagon used at least 300 social media accounts during the summer of 2020 to spread doubts among Filipinos about the quality of Chinese-made vaccines.

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by Eric Olander

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