Congress discusses 'strategic opportunity' for US vaccines in MidEast

The House Foreign Affairs Committee's hearing Wednesday focused in part on the reputation of American COVID-19 vaccines in the Middle East versus Russian and Chinese ones.
people line up for Pfizer vaccine in Ankara
People line up to be vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19 at the Ankara City Hospital, in Ankara, Turkey, on June 7, 2021. - ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images
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Adam Lucente
@Adam_Lucente

Members of Congress discussed the potential for US coronavirus vaccines to be vehicles for soft power in the Middle East on Wednesday. 

Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski of New Jersey referenced reports that the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are offering booster shots of the US-made Pfizer vaccine to people who received China’s Sinopharm vaccine due to concerns about Sinopharm’s effectiveness.

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