The administration of US President Joe Biden plans to purchase 500 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for donation to other countries over the next two years.
According to US media, around 200 million doses will be distributed this year while the remaining doses will be delivered in 2022.
Although the White House has yet to officially comment on the plan to deploy 500 million doses worldwide, the U.S. leader mentioned it as he landed in the UK at the start of his maiden trip to the foreign.
But when asked if the U.S. government has a vaccination strategy for the world, Biden said, “I have one and I’ll announce it,” before boarding Air Force One.
An impatient crowd awaited his arrival at RAF Mildenhall Air Force Base in Suffolk on Wednesday, eager to catch a glimpse of Air Force One when Mr Biden landed on Wednesday evening.
Biden addressed the US troops stationed at the base, paying tribute to military families and remembering his late son, Beau, who served in the National Guard.
He praised the allies of the United States – “like-minded nations” – and added, “The United States is back!
In addition to meeting with European partners, Mr. Biden will also meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The eight-day trip will begin with a meeting Thursday with Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall.
The G7 (Group of Seven) is made up of the world’s seven largest so-called advanced economies – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom and United States – as well as EU.
Earlier on June 3, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus.had requested the support of the G7 health ministers to achieve immunization targets by the end of the year. ‘year.
In his remarks at the G7 health ministers meeting in Oxford, Ghebreyesus called on ministers to show leadership to strengthen the WHO on sustainable financing.
“First, we ask for your support in reaching our immunization goals for September and year-end; dose sharing with COVAX is now essential to achieve these goals.
“We need 250 million doses by September and we need 100 million doses just in June and July,” he said.
Likewise, Johnson has said he will urge G7 leaders to commit to vaccinating the world against COVID-19 by the end of next year.
Leaders will arrive in Cornwall on Friday and meetings will begin the next morning. (NAN)
