Why your company may need its own ‘foreign minister’ Andrew Hammond Short Url https://arab.news/gk2qv One of the success stories of the pandemic has been the fast speed of vaccine development, but this has not stopped some of the companies developing them from becoming political footballs. Despite the AstraZeneca vaccine’s proven efficacy, and the fact that it is being distributed not-for-profit, allowing its introduction at low cost across much of the developing world (it has been used in around 130 countries compared with fewer than 90 for its nearest rival), the jab has been questioned by many politicians, especially in continental Europe. Most recently, in Australia, the government issued updated guidance last week to recommend only those aged over 60 get the shot due to the risk of a rare blood-clotting syndrome; this despite the fact that many millions of people younger than 60 have been given the AstraZeneca jab in other nations.