The United States announced Monday night that it will donate to other countries 20 million more doses of US authorized vaccines by the end of June, in addition to the 60 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines previously announced.
"We know America will never be fully safe until the pandemic that is raging globally is under control. No ocean is wide enough, no wall is high enough to keep us safe. Rampant disease and death in other countries can destabilize them — those countries — and pose a risk to us as well," said US President Joe Biden.
"New variants could arise overseas that could put us at greater risk. And we need to help fight the disease around the world to keep us safe here at home and to do the right thing of helping other people. It’s the right thing to do. It’s the smart thing to do. It’s the strong thing to do," he added.
The additional 20 million doses US will share with the rest of the world includes those of Pfizer and Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
"You know, there’s a lot of talk about Russia and China influencing the world with vaccines. We want to lead the world with our values — with this demonstration of our innovation, ingenuity, and the fundamental decency of the American people," Biden said.
Going forward over the coming weeks, the US will work with other G7 partners, the EU, COVAX, and others to coordinate a multilateral effort focused on ending the pandemic. The United States said that it will not use its vaccines to secure favours from other countries.
Biden said that just as democracies led the world in the darkness of World War Two, democracies will lead the world out of this pandemic.
"Covid-19 is a global challenge that requires a global response. The United States and the world will never be safe when this pandemic is raging globally. New variants will continue arise – placing us all at risk," he said.
