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(Adds comments from White House spokesperson)
By Jeff Mason
June 21 (Reuters) - The White House laid out a plan on
Monday to share 55 million U.S. COVID-19 vaccine doses globally,
with roughly 75% of the doses allocated to Latin America and the
Caribbean, Asia and Africa through the COVAX international
vaccine-sharing program.
The plan fulfills President Joe Biden's commitment to share
80 million U.S.-made vaccines with countries around the world.
The president sketched out his priorities for the first 25
million doses from that pledge earlier this month.
The United States has come under pressure to share more of
its vaccine supply with countries that are still struggling with
the deadly virus and its variants. With more and more Americans
getting the shots, the White House increasingly has turned its
attention to getting vaccine out internationally. (Graphic on
global vaccinations) https://tmsnrt.rs/3tUM8ta
Of the 55 million remaining doses, some 41 million will be
shared through COVAX, the White House said, with approximately
14 million going to Latin America and the Caribbean, some 16
million to Asia, and roughly 10 million to Africa.
The other 25%, or roughly 14 million doses, will be shared
with "regional priorities," including Colombia, Argentina, Iraq,
Ukraine, the West Bank and Gaza.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States had
faced logistical issues getting vaccine to other nations.
"We have plenty of doses to share with the world, but this
is a Herculean logistical challenge," she told reporters, noting
safety and regulatory information had to be shared, proper
storage temperatures for the vaccines had to be ensured, and
language barriers at times had to be overcome.
"We have announced today where these doses are going. We
will continue to announce as they land on the ground and as they
are being shipped, and we're looking forward to doing that as
quickly as possible," she said.
The 55 million doses will be taken from the U.S. supply of
Pfizer Inc, Moderna Inc, and Johnson & Johnson
shots, though if AstraZeneca's vaccine gets a
green light from the Food and Drug Administration, it would
likely be added to the mix as well.
The White House said it wanted the doses to be prioritized
for health care workers and those who are most at risk.
International partners are eager to get U.S. help. Biden has
announced the United States will buy 500 million doses of
Pfizer's vaccine and donate them to the world's poorest
countries.
The White House's breakdown of its allocation of the 55
million vaccine doses is below.
THROUGH COVAX:
* Latin America and the Caribbean (approximately 14 million
shots): Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay,
Bolivia, Uruguay, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, and
other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, Dominican
Republic, Panama, and Costa Rica
* Asia (approximately 16 million shots): India, Nepal,
Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives, Bhutan,
Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Papua
New Guinea, Taiwan, Cambodia, and the Pacific Islands.
* Africa (approximately 10 million shots): Recipient
countries will be selected in coordination with the African
Union.
THROUGH DIRECT SHARING: Colombia, Argentina, Haiti, other
CARICOM countries, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama,
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, Vietnam,
Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Cabo Verde,
Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Tunisia, Oman, West Bank and Gaza,
Ukraine, Kosovo, Georgia, Moldova, and Bosnia.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason
Additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Nandita Bose
Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Lisa Shumaker)
