New Delhi: Pfizer's chief executive Albert Bourla said that whether it was wearing masks, questions about vaccine efficacy, or about delivering the vaccines, everything was politicised during the pandemic and proved to be an obstacle for vaccine makers. He was speaking on Thursday on a panel on pandemic preparedness at the World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, Switzerland.
"The biggest challenge ... was the political challenge," Bourla said adding that protectionism also emerged as a huge challenge in delivering the vaccines. Governments in fear closed down borders, making it difficult to export vaccines or bring in raw materials needed to make them, he explained.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that politicising mask-wearing into a political issue was unforgivable and stupid. Government leaders trying to vaccinate their own population when an election was beckoning resulted into the unforgivable politics of politicising public health. The virus had receded into the rear-view mirror for most countries, Blair said adding that the only way to keep the focus on it was to convince politicians that there are votes in it. (With Agency inputs)
