WASHINGTON – The administration of United States President Joe Biden yesterday announced its plan for the next tranche of 55 million Covid-19 vaccine doses it plans to send to countries in need.
The donation will complete its initial pledge of 80 million doses from its own vaccine supply, made ahead of a vow to buy 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine for low- and middle-income nations.
A total of 41 million of the 55 million doses (75%) are being distributed via the Covax programme, with the remaining 14 million (25%) shared with recipients the US deems priorities.
The vaccine being shared with Covax includes 14 million for Latin America and the Caribbean, approximately 16 million for Asia and 10 million for Africa, in coordination with the African Union.
The first tranche included the Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, but it is not immediately clear what the second tranche will comprise.
A vaccine created by AstraZeneca has yet to earn US authorisation, but is in use elsewhere.
While wealthy countries are ramping up vaccinations and returning to normal, Covid-19 cases are surging elsewhere, including in South America and Africa. Less than 1% of the vaccine doses globally have been administered to people in low-income countries.
“The Biden administration’s plan for sharing more Covid-19 vaccine doses globally will help end the pandemic faster and save lives,” said Tom Hart, acting CEO of The One campaign to eradicate poverty and preventable disease. – AFP, June 22, 2021
