US announces to allocate 5.5 cr doses of Covid vaccines globally
Washington DC: The US has announced its plan to allocate 5.5 crore doses of the COVID-19 vaccines to the rest of the world as the second tranche, including 1.6 core jabs to 18 Asian nations such as India, Pakistan and Nepal, as part of the Biden administration's bid to end the pandemic globally.
Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced the plan for the first 2.50 crore vaccine doses that the US has already started shipping.
Of the 55 million (5.50 crore) vaccine doses announced on Monday as the second tranche, 16 million (1.60 crore) has been allocated for 18 Asian nations such as India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives and Bhutan.
The White House fact sheet on Monday did not provide exact figures for how many doses would be sent to each country. It only gave estimates for regions in general.
The Biden-Harris administration has so far allocated 80 million doses of America's own vaccine supply which President Joe Biden had pledged to allocate by the end of June as part of its efforts to end the pandemic globally.
As we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic at home and work to end the pandemic worldwide, President Biden has promised that the United States will be an arsenal of vaccines for the world. Part of that plan is donating vaccines from our domestic supply, and the President has pledged 80 million (8 cr) doses to be allocated by the end of June, the White House said.
For these 8 crore doses, the US will share 75 per cent through COVAX and 25 per cent will be targeted to help deal with surges around the world.
Our goals are to increase global COVID-19 vaccination coverage, prepare for surges and prioritise healthcare workers and other vulnerable populations based on public health data and acknowledged best practice, and help our neighbours and other countries in need, the White House
said.
The Biden-Harris administration will not use its vaccines to secure favours from other countries, it asserted.
