US reaches 200 million donated vaccines against COVID-19

WASHINGTON (AP) – The United States on Thursday donated its 200 million vaccine against COVID-19 to help protect the rest of the world from the pandemic, the White House announced. The goal of the Joe Biden administration is to lead the global vaccination campaign while, at the national level, pushing for the administration of booster doses, which critics say diverts resources from those who need them most.

The donated doses include more than 120 million surpluses from the US vaccine stock, in addition to the first deliveries of the 1 billion doses that the government purchased from Pfizer for worldwide distribution by September 2022. More than 100 countries and territories have already received the drugs sent by the United States, which continues to be the world’s largest vaccine donor.

“These 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have helped bring health and hope to millions of people, but our work is far from over,” Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power said in a release. “To end the pandemic and prevent the appearance of new variants, as well as future outbreaks within the borders of our country, we must continue to do our part to help vaccinate the world.”

Although aid groups have praised Washington for leading global donations, they also criticized the approval of booster doses in the country while many in low-income nations lack any protection. The Food and Drug Administration approved the extra doses from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday, after giving the green light to Pfizer-BioNTech last month.

“The reality is that the more rich countries that use booster doses, the further we are from the end of the pandemic,” said Tom Hart, Acting CEO of One Campaign. “Although some argue that they can deliver the boosters and vaccinate the world, the reality is that the boosters divert supply from a sector of urgent need: administering the first doses around the world.”

Despite the fact that half the planet is vaccinated, there is a huge geographic and wealth disparity. Most vaccines have been given in high- and middle-income countries.

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