Delta disruption spreads as vaccine exports soar

Escalating efforts to contain China’s first Delta variant outbreak will hurt some sectors of the economy. But if they are as successful as they have been in the past, the overall damage will be fleeting and small. Meanwhile, a rise in infections classed as critical in China over recent days raises questions over whether China’s vaccines are as effective at reducing severity of infection from the Delta variant as several studies have shown they are against the regular variety. That matters beyond China’s borders: the government this week said that China is now exporting 200bn vaccine doses per month and that this pace will increase over the rest of the year.