What I don't get is, China has more than enough money to buy a vaccine that is more effective, and more than enough research capability to develop something against omicron if it's that bad there. Why don't they?
(Also, why didn't we scale the vaccines with the confidence we had, instead of waiting months doing nothing just because the complete results weren't available?)
Sibling commenter says money, but I fear it's more to do with ego, admitting the Made in China vaccines are ineffective against Omicron and having to import Western-made vaccines would mean a loss of face for the government. It's sad how a lot of China's actions are rooted in their feeling of insecurity.
But my instincts tell me some higher ups in government probably have taken a Western vaccine because they know they're effective against Omicron, they just can't admit that publicly.
On the topic of "research", I wonder why they haven't just "pirated" one of the mRNA vaccines and claimed it a Chinese invention.
Because all 4 China made vaccines' pharmaceutical companies are backed by higher ups in the CCP. Every Chinese vaccine injected is money to these officials(or their relatives') wallets
Well, so adapt them for the omicron. It's something every other vaccine producer did at some point, but didn't move forward because it was not the best policy outside of China.
Omicron appeared in last Oct. It's only been 6 months.
I also suspect that the gov doesn't want to make a new version as it would imply the original versions are ineffective (illogical I know.) Who knows how much they stockpiled the original shots ($$$).
(Also, why didn't we scale the vaccines with the confidence we had, instead of waiting months doing nothing just because the complete results weren't available?)