A staff member displays samples of the COVID-19 inactivated vaccine at Sinovac Biotech Ltd., in Beijing on March 16. Photo: Xinhua

Western countries, especially US public opinion institutions, are launching an unfair reporting campaign around the COVID-19 vaccine, questioning the progress of the Chinese vaccine and exaggerating the progress made by American and Western pharmaceutical companies.

The positive news announced by US drug maker Pfizer and other companies have even strongly boosted the stock market. But the fact is vaccine progress made by American and Western companies is on the same level as that of Chinese companies. But the vaccines of the two sides have been treated completely different by American and Western public opinion.

The research and development of Chinese vaccines is progressing very fast, and China has five COVID-19 vaccine candidates in Phase 3 clinical trials. The problem is that China has generally controlled the epidemic, thus, the country lacks conditions for Phase 3 clinical trials. The trials must be carried out in foreign countries with severe epidemic situations, which requires additional coordination and has caused a delay.

Due to the urgency of the epidemic, all countries have accelerated the pace of research and development, as well as the progress of putting vaccines into practical use. Under normal circumstances, it takes several years for a vaccine to be fully developed. But some American companies are already applying for the vaccine's commercialization. While ensuring there are no side effects, China has also expanded the scope of urgent use of vaccines among medical staff and other susceptible people. 

Some US public opinion institutions have supported the accelerated use of domestic vaccines, and the capital market has enthusiastically embraced such acceleration. All of these have formed a "deification movement" around American vaccines.

But they have shown a completely different attitude toward Chinese vaccines. They said China's vaccinating of some susceptible people shows its "irresponsibility" because it may risk their safety. They have also deliberately related the expansion of vaccination with the fact that Chinese companies have not yet announced data of Phase 3 clinical trials, using a "montage" to create the impression that China is deliberately using substandard vaccines.

Will China disregard the health and lives of the general public for profit? How dare the American and Western public opinion institutions spread such doubts. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19, China has carried out the most resolute campaign of suppressing the virus and has saved many lives. However, the US fight against the epidemic has been dismantled by various interests.

The Trump administration has preferred to protect the stock market rather than people's lives. We suspect that American pharmaceutical companies, public opinion institutions and the stock market have links with politicians because they have also been driven by interests. Attacking Chinese vaccines enhances such interests.

It is the call of the common interests of mankind that China's vaccine will accelerate its success and play an important role in the new stage of global prevention and control. Beijing has announced that China will make its vaccines a global public product. This is of great significance for ensuring the global supply of vaccines and preventing one or two Western vaccines from seeking a monopoly. Vaccines must be affordable for people in all countries. China's vaccines are an important force to ensure fairness in the next stage of pandemic prevention.

China needs to strengthen the publicity of its own vaccines, and developing countries should also support China's vaccines to accelerate trials and achieve commercialization as soon as possible. Due to their selfishness, the US and some other countries do not cooperate with Chinese vaccines' Phase 3 clinical trials. As China's vaccines move toward the frontline of the COVID-19 fight, those developing countries share weal and woe with China.

No matter how good the vaccine is, it is impractical to use it alone to subdue the highly contagious COVID-19. With its organization, China has won the key battle in containing the epidemic, and we have done the best in the world. There is no way China will fall behind in vaccine research. Those who badmouth China's vaccines will eventually become the laughing stock again.