President Joe Biden said Monday that the US would provide at least 80 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to other countries by the end of June. He added that Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson will be responsible for the 20 million doses.
60 million of COVID-19 vaccine doses will be from AstraZeneca
Biden recently shared that up to 60 million doses will be AstraZeneca's vaccine, which the Food and Drug Administration has not approved for emergency use in the United States. Biden said, "We're taking another step to help the world. It's the proper course of action. It's the smart thing to do," USA Today reported.
The announcements come as the United States and other developed countries come under increasing pressure for monopolizing vaccinations as the developing world suffers. In recent weeks, demand in the US has peaked, and vaccine "hesitancy" is being blamed for a slow decrease in vaccinations.
The global vaccine campaign will be led by Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus coordinator, per Biden. The United States will cooperate with COVAX, a global program aimed at ensuring equal access to COVID-19 vaccines.
Last weekend, the rate of new coronavirus infections dropped below the September 12 low, the day before the fall surge began and transformed into a devastating winter. In the week ending September 12, the nation recorded 241,099 cases, a few thousands more than the 232,489 cases reported the week before.
Daily infections are only less than half of what they were a month earlier, just a small piece of what they were in January. Although, the United States continues to record about 600 deaths per day, almost one-fifth of the rate seen in January.
In his remarks, Biden took jabs at Russia and China. He stated that the United States would contribute a total of 80 million doses to the world, adding that this figure is far higher than Russia's or China's promises of 15 million doses.
"There's a lot of talk now about Russia and China using vaccines to influence the world," Biden said. "With our values, we want to lead the world," as per US News.
The doses will be shipped by the end of June, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, who also acknowledged that the total number of doses the US will export, 80 million, is the most doses donated by any nation in the world by five times.
Though highlighting vaccine milestones in the United States, Biden has faced criticism to do more for other countries facing deadly outbreaks, such as India. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eased masking guidelines for fully vaccinated people last week, citing decreased coronavirus cases, increased vaccine demand, and new vaccine performance results.
Biden warns states with low vaccination rates
Per CNBC, President Joe Biden advised on Monday that coronavirus case numbers in states with low COVID-19 vaccination rates could increase again. COVID-19 outbreaks are down in all 50 states for the first time since the pandemic started over a year ago, Biden announced at a White House press conference on the nation's success in fighting the coronavirus.
He believes that this progress could be reversed, especially in states where vaccination rates are poor. Biden's remarks were also the latest in his campaign to have Americans vaccinated as soon as possible.
By July 4, the Biden administration expects to see 70 percent of adults vaccinated and 160 million adults fully vaccinated, a date that Biden hopes would represent a turning point in the pandemic. According to data collected by the CDC, more than 154 million American adults, or 59.7 percent of all adults in the country, have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Monday.
According to the CDC, almost 121 million Americans, or 47.1 percent of the adult population, are fully vaccinated. The CDC data showed Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Maine, and Massachusetts have the largest number of doses administered per 100,000 people.
Having a COVID-19 vaccine is "as easy as ever," with several vaccination centers across the country accepting walk-ins, the President said. The CDC reported on Thursday that fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear a face mask or stay 6 feet away from others in most spaces, whether outside or indoors, per the new public health guidelines. Many public health experts saw the move as the administration's latest attempt to get them to get vaccinated.
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