Why Southeast Asia is Drifting Away from Washington

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The geopolitical landscape of Southeast Asia is undergoing a tectonic shift. For decades, the United States was viewed as the indispensable powerthe security guarantor that allowed the region’s tiger economies to flourish. However, recent events, culminating in the devastating economic fallout of the Iran war, have accelerated a trend that many in Washington failed to see coming: Southeast Asia is increasingly looking toward Beijing, not out of ideological love, but out of pragmatic necessity. This shift is not merely a preference for one superpower over another; it is a profound vote of no confidence in the predictability and reliability of Western leadership. The Credibility Gap: From Trade Wars to Kinetic Wars The erosion of trust didn't happen overnight. It began with a series of inconsistent trade policies and sudden tariffs that left regional exportersfrom Malaysia to Vietnamreeling. When global leadership feels like a moving target, Southeast Asian nations, which prioritize...
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End-March COVAX bivalent vaccinations for Philippines

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Department of Health (DOH) Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said on February 28 that the Philippines would get 1,002,000 doses of bivalent coronavirus vaccinations from the worldwide COVAX facility.

“The EUA for bivalent vaccinations that will be supplied to us has already been issued,” Vergeire added, referring to emergency use authorisation. Pfizer is donating the bivalent vaccines from COVAX.

Bivalent COVID-19 vaccinations include mRNA from the original strain of SARS-CoV-2, similar to the original vaccine, as well as mRNA from the BA.4 or BA.5 Omicron variant. They were designed to combat several COVID-19 variations and prevent serious sickness.

COVAX, also known as the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Fund, is a worldwide cooperation aimed towards accelerating the discovery, production, and equitable distribution of novel vaccines.

As the bivalent vaccinations arrive in the country, prioritizing will be enforced, per Vergeire.

She stated, “We are now focusing the A1 (health care workers) and A2 (senior people) populations.”

Vergeire stated that the Department of Health has already produced administration instructions for bivalent vaccinations. Before disseminating the recommendations through a memorandum, the health department is seeking signatures from its executive committee.

From February 20 to February 26, a total of 832 illnesses were recorded in the Philippines, a decrease of 19 cases.

In January, the World Health Organization stated that COVID-19 continues to be a global health emergency of worldwide concern. The pandemic is likely at a “transitional phase” that still requires “careful management” to “mitigate the potential for adverse effects.”

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