The Briefing Room
General Category => Health/Education => Topic started by: mystery-ak on June 03, 2021, 05:59:07 pm
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US will boost global vaccine-sharing, Biden announces
By ZEKE MILLER 34 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Thursday the U.S. will donate 75% of its unused COVID-19 vaccines to the U.N.-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing program, acting as more Americans have been vaccinated and global inequities have become more glaring.
Of the first tranche of 25 million doses, the White House said about 19 million will go to COVAX, with approximately 6 million for South and Central America, 7 million for Asia and 5 million for Africa. The doses mark a substantial — and immediate — boost to the lagging COVAX effort, which to date has shared just 76 million doses with needy countries.
Overall, the White House aims to share 80 million doses globally by the end of June, most through COVAX. But 25% of the nation’s excess will be kept in reserve for emergencies and for the U.S. to share directly with allies and partners.
“As long as this pandemic is raging anywhere in the world, the American people will still be vulnerable,” Biden said in a statement. “And the United States is committed to bringing the same urgency to international vaccination efforts that we have demonstrated at home.”
more
https://apnews.com/article/biden-announces-international-covid-vaccine-sharing-plan-cc4630f1d45b379c573c55a2042026e0
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Biden has committed to providing other nations with all 60 million domestically produced doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine., which has yet to be authorized for use in the U.S. but is widely approved around the world. The U.S.-produced doses have been held up for export by an ongoing safety review by the Food and Drug Administration, said Zients.
The White House says the initial 25 million doses will be shipped from existing federal stockpiles of Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. More doses are expected to be made available to share in the months ahead.
Two thefts in one:
* 60M doses of AZ vaccine that cannot, at present, be used in the US, but will be paid for by US taxpayer $$;
* 25M doses of vaccines in use in the US at a time when people are still being vaccinated, and also paid for by US taxpayer $$. Those 25M doses of vaccines are in no sense of the word "surplus"!
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I'm sure China and the WHO are on top of the global situation.