Hey Biden administration: here's a soft diplomacy, old-fashioned goodwill way to win hearts and minds among foreign countries in need of Covid vaccine, AND, while we're at it, help overseas American citizens, some of whom are desperate about getting vaccinated.
It's what China is doing for its citizens:
The Associated Press says China had donated 500,000 doses, and Thailand then agreed to vaccinate Chinese expats. Around 150,000 Chinese nationals live in Thailand. “Spring Sprout” launched in March and so far, more than 500,000 Chinese nationals in more than 120 countries have been inoculated, according to the country’s official People’s Daily newspaper.
Here's the key phrase: "China had donated 500,000 doses, and Thailand then agreed to vaccinate Chinese expats." Get it? The US could easily do the same. Win win, quid pro quo (not in the bad, Trump sense, but in the national and diplomatic interests of the United States). We help your country, and in return you help our citizens.
The need is real, and it's urgent. Full disclosure: my older brother is a longtime resident of Bangkok, and he's alerted me to the problem, including the efforts of expat Americans (a nod to Democrats Abroad Thailand) to lobby for help from the US government. In this NPR report, I find that last week's response by White House press secretary Jen Psaki completely misses the point:
"We have not historically provided private health care for Americans living overseas, so that remains our policy."
Does administering millions of doses free of charge to Americans living on US soil amount to the provision of "private health care?" I thought it was just sensible public health policy during a deadly pandemic. And if it makes sense domestically, wouldn't it also be sensible internationally? Aren't American expats part of the herd, so to speak?
A year ago, at the outset of the pandemic, the State Department pulled out all the stops to Bring#AmericansHome. And proudly trumpeted (no pun intended, though I am surprised at myself for giving this credit to the previous administration)... From June 2020:
"Our nation’s diplomats are serving on the front lines of the global COVID-19 pandemic as international first responders, as they have for 200 years. Their priority is to protect American citizens abroad during crises and bring them home, or repatriate them, if needed. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo initiated the social media hashtag #AmericansHome to signal his support for these heroic behind-the-scenes efforts. As of June 1, the State Department has repatriated more than 98,000 American citizens during the pandemic."
So how about somebody (Secretary Blinken - hint) coming up with a new hashtag, like "Bringing#AmericansVaccine?" Not only is it the right thing to do, but it would be the smart thing. Let's not forget this:
"Absentee ballots (domestic, overseas and military) were requested by far more Democrats than Republicans in the 2020 election. Democrats Abroad estimates that approximately 1.8 million eligible American voters living abroad received ballots in the 2020 election."
I daresay that many of those taxpaying, voting overseas US citizens would appreciate a little lifesaving recognition in their hour of need.
More disclosure: I live in Brussels, and have received my first vaccine shot, thanks to the European Union/Belgian government program.