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BERLIN, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Germany will contribute an
additional 1.5 billion euros to support global COVID-19
vaccination efforts and other programmes to fight the pandemic,
increasing its overall pledge to 2.1 billion euros, Finance
Minister Olaf Scholz said on Friday.
"We can only get out of the pandemic with vaccinations. We
need to make progress on this, at home and abroad," Scholz said,
adding that the additional money was meant to support the COVAX
program, the Word Health Organisation (WHO) and other
international efforts.
"With today's announcement we make clear: We're standing
side-by-side with the poorest countries," Scholz said. The
German contribution would increase international funds for
vaccines, drugs and tests by over 30 percent, he added.
"We'll only be safe if there is immunisation through
vaccination all over the world," Scholz said.
U.S. President Joe Biden was expected to use his first
meeting with leaders of Group of Seven advanced economies on
Friday to announce an immediate $2 billion donation to the COVAX
program co-led by the WHO. COVAX aims to ensure a fair supply of
coronavirus vaccines around the world.
The United States will provide an additional $2 billion over
the next two years as other nations fulfill and make their own
pledges, U.S. officials said.
(Reporting by Michael Nienaber, editing by Thomas Escritt)
