US to Send Extra 20 Million Covid Vaccine Doses Abroad, White House Says

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Representative picture. Photo: AP

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White House didn’t say which international locations can be prioritised, however Biden has signaled that Washington will do what it might probably to assist India in its Covid-19 struggle.

  • AFP Washington
  • Last Updated:May 17, 2021, 23:34 IST
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The United States will launch an extra 20 million doses of Covid vaccines overseas, bringing the entire being shipped out to 80 million, the White House mentioned Monday.

“The United States will ship 20 million doses authorised to be used within the United States to assist international locations battling the pandemic by the top of June,” Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

Psaki said President Joe Biden would formally announce the move in a televised address later Monday.

The boost in shipments follows pressure on the Biden administration to use its large vaccine surplus to help other countries now that significant progress has been made in rolling out vaccinations at home.

Psaki would not say which countries would be prioritised for the shipments, but Biden has signaled that Washington will be doing what it can to help India push back against a surge in the pandemic.

The initial 60 million doses will all be of AstraZeneca, once the vaccine gets US regulatory approval. The British-developed shots have yet to be used in the United States and look increasingly unlikely ever to be needed.

Psaki did not specify what brand the extra 20 million doses would be, saying only they would be “other doses of approved vaccines.”

Apparently responding to claims that the United States has been hoarding medicines, Psaki mentioned that the 80 million determine represents “essentially the most doses donated by any nation on the earth by 5 instances.”

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