Biden to send 20 million U.S.-approved vaccines abroad by end of June

Samgo

The new commitment is in addition to the 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine the president has already pledged to ship overseas.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Monday that his administration will send an additional 20 million Covid-19 vaccines abroad by the end of June, including for the first time vaccines that have been approved for use in the United States.

"Our vaccination program has led the world, and today we are taking an additional step to help the world," Biden said in a speech at the White House.

"No ocean is wide enough, no wall is high enough to keep us safe. Rampant disease and death in other countries can destabilize them — those countries — and pose a risk to us as well," he added.

The 20 million doses of U.S.-approved shots are in addition to Biden's previous commitment to give 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to other countries, meaning that 80 million doses are expected to be shared with the world within the next few weeks.

It is unclear which countries will receive the doses. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that the administration will announce more in the coming days about how they are deciding where to send vaccines.

The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved for use in the U.S., while AstraZeneca is not. In March the U.S. shared 4 million doses of its AstraZeneca stockpile with Mexico and Canada.

The announcement comes as the demand for vaccines in the U.S. is declining, and as the fast pace of the vaccine rollout in the U.S. and other wealthy countries has drawn scrutiny from critics noting the contrast with poorer countries struggling to obtain vaccines.

Experts have warned that global vaccination inequality could prolong the pandemic if the coronavirus continues to mutate, which could make it more infectious and resistant to vaccines.

Source：https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-send-20-million-u-s-approved-vaccines-abroad-end-n1267596