Donation of at least 20 million doses is ‘step in the right direction’ but a fraction of what’s necessary, they say.
President Biden announced Monday that his administration will send at least 20 million doses of U.S.-authorized coronavirus vaccines abroad by the end of June, a decision that comes amid criticism that the United States has hoarded doses and done too little to fight the pandemic beyond its borders. The announcement marks the first time the United States has said it will share vaccines authorized for domestic use. The shipments will include doses from Pfizer – BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Biden had previously committed to share up to 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine overseas, although the United States has not authorized that vaccine for domestic use yet and the doses remain under review by the Food and Drug Administration. “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 Monday afternoon in a speech from the East Room of the White House. Biden also announced that Jeff Zients, the nation’s domestic coronavirus coordinator, will lead the effort to share vaccine doses globally. Zients will work in coordination with the National Security Council and other agency partners, including Gayle Smith, who is coordinating global diplomatic outreach at the State Department. “We’re going to bring the same whole-of-government response to the global effort that made us so successful here at home,” Biden said. Kevin Munoz, a White House spokesman, said Zients was tapped for the role because of his success in overseeing the domestic effort, which has required working across multiple federal agencies and in collaboration with state governments.
