Corona pandemic: USA donates another 500 million vaccines

The US wants to double its vaccine dose donation – to a billion. US President Biden wants to get the UN in the mood for a common goal: 70 percent of the people in each country should be vaccinated by one year.

In the fight against the corona pandemic, the US wants to provide another 500 million vaccine doses for poorer countries. US President Joe Biden will announce the donation of half a billion doses of the corona vaccine from BioNTech and Pfizer at a video conference on the corona pandemic on the sidelines of the UN general debate, US government officials announced in advance.

First donation announced in June

In doing so, the United States is increasing its pledges to a total of one billion vaccine doses. You had already announced a donation of 500 million units before the G7 summit in Cornwall, England in June.

So far, around 160 million of these cans have been delivered to around a hundred countries around the world – including Peru, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Ethiopia. More cans would be sent every day. They are also working on expanding production capacities in the USA, where the now announced further 500 million cans are to be produced.

Biden wants to proclaim a common goal

According to the information, the US wants to buy the additional doses of vaccine from the manufacturers Pfizer and BioNTech at a “not-for-profit price”. A government representative in Washington emphasized that the US will provide the additional doses of vaccine free of charge and without any preconditions. “We prove that you can not only take care of yourself, but also help others,” it said.

At the video conference organized by the USA, according to the government representatives, Biden wants to swear the heads of state and government around the world to a common vaccination goal: by September 2022, 70 percent of the population in each country should be immunized against the corona virus.

First criticism of the USA

At the beginning of the vaccination campaigns, the US was accused of hoarding the rare vaccines for its own population. The United States is now the largest corona vaccine donor in the world.

However, the decision of the USA and other Western countries to give older people and risk groups a third vaccination dose to refresh their vaccination has met with criticism.

There are still massive differences in the progress of vaccination campaigns. While in Western Europe an average of more than 60 percent of the population is vaccinated, the vaccination rate for the age groups in question in Africa is just 3.6 percent.