Biden lays out plan to share 25 million COVID-19 vaccine doses with the world
The White House on Thursday laid out a plan for the United States to share 25 million surplus COVID-19 vaccine doses with the world and said it would lift some restrictions to allow other countries to buy U.S.-made supplies for vaccine production more easily.
President Joe Biden said the United States would share the vaccines without expectation of political favors in return. Biden has pledged to share some 80 million COVID-19 vaccines internationally this month.
The United States will donate nearly 19 million doses through the COVAX international vaccine sharing program, he said in a statement. Through COVAX, some 6 million doses would go to Latin America and the Caribbean, about 7 million doses to South and Southeast Asia and roughly 5 million to Africa.
The remaining doses, amounting to just over 6 million, would go directly from the United States to countries including Canada, Mexico, India and South Korea, he said.
“We are sharing these doses not to secure favors or extract concessions,” Biden said in a statement. “We are sharing these vaccines to save lives and to lead the world in bringing an end to the pandemic, with the power of our example and with our values.”
Although the United States is working through the COVAX facility co-run by the World Health Organization, the White House retains final say in which countries receive U.S. doses and how many, said national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
(c) Reuters
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