US to give 80 million vaccine doses to priority nations

Washington will prioritise countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, South and Southeast Asia, and Africa.

A Covid-19 sufferer in an intensive care unit in New Delhi, India. Seven million doses of vaccines have been allocated by the US for Asia, especially India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Vietnam. Picture: Getty Images

President Joe Biden has outlined his plan for the first of 80 million coronavirus vaccine doses that the US will distribute globally before July, with 75 per cent of shots disbursed via the Covax program.

In a fact sheet released on Friday AEST, the White House said that for the doses shared through Covax, Washington would prioritise countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, South and Southeast Asia, and Africa as it aims to help stave off fresh surges of infections.

“We are sharing these doses not to secure favours or extract concessions,” Mr Biden said.

“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.”

Earlier this year, Mr Biden pledged to export 60 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to countries around the world – then bumped it up to 80 million.

The commitment came amid pressure from other governments to use the US large vaccine surplus to help struggling nations now that significant progress has been made in rolling out vaccinations at home.

“The process to export the first 25 million is under way,” White House Covid-19 response co-ordinator Jeff Zients said.

“We will deliver on the President’s commitment of 80 million doses by the end of June.”

He said the first tranche was coming from the federal supply of doses and would be comprised of a combination of the three vaccines with US emergency use authorisation: Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has yet to earn US authorisation but is in use elsewhere, including Australia and Britain.

Covax is an international scheme co-founded by the World Health Organisation and the vaccine alliance Gavi intended to get enough vaccines for 30 per cent of the population in 92 of the poorest participating territories — 20 per cent in India — with donors covering the cost. Gavi quickly welcomed Mr Biden’s step, with its chief executive Seth Berkley saying: “This announcement allows us to quickly get more doses to countries in a strained global supply climate” and move towards ending the acute phase of the pandemic.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus weighed in to say he was “very appreciative” of the US move.

According to the US plan, of its first 25 million doses, about seven million are allocated for Asia, ­especially India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Vietnam. Six million are allocated to nations in South and Central America and the Caribbean, including Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica and Haiti. Five million were reserved for Africa and would be distributed in co-ordination with the African Union, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said.

The remaining six million doses will be shared directly with countries experiencing surges or that are in crisis, as well as with neighbours Canada and Mexico and “partner recipients” such as South Korea, Ukraine, Gaza and Iraq.

Mr Sullivan stressed the US wanted to “retain some flexibility” about allocating doses outside the Covax formula as necessary.

“As we draw on the experience of distributing the vaccine doses announced today, we will have more details to provide about how future doses will be shared,” Mr Biden said.

India expressed gratitude, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeting he spoke with US Vice President Kamala Harris after the announcement. “I deeply appreciate the assurance of vaccine supplies to India as part of the US Strategy for Global Vaccine Sharing,” Mr Modi said.

Covax was set up to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines, particularly to low-income countries. It has already delivered almost 80 million doses to 127 territories, with AstraZeneca shots making up 97 per cent of doses supplied so far – the rest being Pfizer-BioNTech.

AFP