US to donate 500m doses of Pfizer vaccines worldwide
The US is reportedly planning to donate 500m doses of the Pfizer Covid vaccine to roughly 100 countries around the world over the next two years.
Around 200m jabs will be distributed this year and 300m in the first half of next year, according to multiple media reports.
The programme will be aimed at 92 lower-income countries and the African Union.
The US and other countries — including the UK — have come under pressure to donate jabs to help increase vaccination in poorer countries.
President Joe Biden will reportedly announce the deal tomorrow as leaders from the world’s richest nations prepare for the G7 summit in Cornwall this weekend.
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One for Britain today, Biden said he had a global vaccine strategy and would be announcing it in due course.
According to the reports, the donations will go through the Covax vaccine facility that distributes shots to low and middle-income countries and is backed by the World Health Organization and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization.
It is also expected that the jabs will be purchased at a not-for-profit price.
The agreement is in addition to the 300m doses of the Pfizer vaccine already purchased by the US.
It comes after Unicef this week called on rich nations to provide a steady supply of Covid vaccines over the year, warning that millions of doses could be wasted if they were donated in one go.
Stars including Billie Eilish and David Beckham backed the charity’s call for G7 nations to donate 20 per cent of their vaccines by August.