China’s Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines deliver protection well below 90% effectiveness, based on the results from countries that have come to rely on them. Clinical trials point to even more discouraging numbers, with as few as 51% of their users avoiding symptomatic disease.

Even if that is better than nothing, it is still outrageous that China is demanding payment for these subpar products from the international vaccine-sharing cooperative COVAX, whereas millions of highly effective American vaccine doses have been donated for free.