SEATTLE, Wash. – Mongolia is a nation located between two powerful countries: China and Russia. Known for its rugged terrain and nomadic culture, Mongolia was able to avoid any transmission of COVID-19 cases for ten months. This, however, took a turn in spring 2021 with cases reaching numbers not previously seen in the country. With a sudden spike in cases threatening Mongolia’s fragile economy, neighboring countries have aided public health efforts in Mongolia by responding to the Mongolian government’s call for vaccines. As a result, vaccinations in Mongolia have started in earnest.

COVID-19 and its impact on Mongolia

Mongolian officials were particularly wary of their underperforming health system even before cases were discovered in Mongolia. In addition, Mongolia also has the longest land border with China. With a steady stream of people crossing the border between Mongolia and China every day, the Mongolian government had to quickly prioritize protecting its people from the spread of the virus. When Mongolia was finally hit with COVID-19 cases similar to those of other countries, the shock of it greatly impacted the structure of the Mongolian labor market and undermined the country’s economic stability.

That of the World Bank Mongolia Economic Update report showed that low-skilled workers living just above the national poverty line had fallen below the poverty line due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their careers. However, by the end of 2021, the report estimates that the economic growth that will take place through government stimulus measures will help the poor. Along with this, the introduction of vaccination in Mongolia will also contribute to economic growth.

Economic links: essential for the acquisition of vaccines

With the country in crisis, the Mongolian foreign minister turned to China and Russia for help. Due to China’s reliance on Mongolian coal production, Mongolia has become a priority in China’s vaccine distribution plan. A donation of 300,000 Sinopharm vaccines has been sent from China to Mongolia. Subsequently, Mongolia entered into an agreement with Russia buy a million doses of the Russian vaccine Sputnik while a few days later it was also approved for 330,000 additional doses Chinese vaccine Sinopharm. China and Russia were not the only countries to donate vaccines to Mongolia. Through a strategic partnership formed in 2015, India donated 15,000 AstraZeneca vaccines in February 2021. With additional donations from the COVAX initiative and continued domestic vaccine purchases, the number of vaccinations in Mongolia has increased. regularly exceeded three million. Mongolia’s ability to fight foreign policies for vaccine diplomacy has certainly been demonstrated by its support from other countries and companies.

Looking to the future: Vaccinations in Mongolia

The new Mongolian Prime Minister, Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai, aims to vaccinate all Mongolian citizens over the age of 18 as soon as possible, previously setting July 2021 as the possible completion date for this ambitious goal. With only a population of 3.2 million, the number of citizens over the age of 18 accounts for 62% of Mongolia’s population. 3,788,394 individual doses were administered in Mongolia, which was estimated to provide the nation with a majority of fully immunized citizens. With a high number of vaccinated citizens, Mongolia hopes to see an improvement in its economic stability.

To prevent a significant portion of its citizenship from falling below the poverty line, Mongolia has taken advantage of alliances with its powerful neighbors Russia and China, among others. With the acquisition of vaccines in Mongolia from other countries, the Mongolian economy may be able to recover from the devastating blow that COVID-19 has caused to its workforce. Additionally, the nation as a whole may have definitely passed its peak of cases, which could signal the start of a recovery in all major sectors and beyond.

– Allie Degner
Photo: Flickr