Limited supply, poor infra: The cold barriers to getting vaccinated in Asia

Doctors, nurses and other essential workers are getting vaccinated against Covid-19 in the U.S. and U.K. Yet in Asia, where several countries led the way in reining in the viral outbreak, there are few signs that detailed distribution plans are ready to be implemented. Supplies are limited and unknowns plentiful. Governments need to jump-start the process to get shots into arms. In most cases, however, their capacity to distribute the vaccine is a constraint or simply doesn’t exist.

Some nations have signed on to procurement and advanced purchasing plans from vaccine manufacturers. Others are working on collaborations and homegrown options. But