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(Adds China's comments, vaccine export)
By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will send
at least 20 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses abroad by the
end of June, marking the first time the United States is sharing
vaccines authorized for domestic use.
The move marks a notable pivot from the White House as the
administration seeks to use the country's vaccine supply as a
diplomatic tool with the pandemic outlook brightening at home.
Biden announced on Monday that his administration will send
doses of the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE, Moderna
Inc and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, on top of
60 million AstraZeneca Plc doses he had already planned
to give to other countries.
Unlike the others, AstraZeneca's shot is not yet authorized
for use in the United States.
"Just as in World War Two America was the arsenal of
democracy, in the battle against COVID-19 pandemic our nation is
going to be the arsenal of vaccines," Biden said.
The president has been under pressure to share vaccines to
help contain worsening epidemics from India to Brazil, where
health experts fear new, more contagious coronavirus variants
could undermine the effectiveness of available shots.
Biden noted that no other country will send more vaccines
abroad than the United States. So far, the United Stages has
sent a few million AstraZeneca doses to Canada and Mexico.
"We want to lead the world with our values with this
demonstration of our innovation, ingenuity, and the fundamental
decency of American people," Biden said.
China, which has exported hundreds of millions of doses
mainly to developing countries and pledged to donate at least
nearly 4 million doses, said it welcomed the U.S. move but it
would not use vaccines as a tool in diplomatic relations.
"We welcome if the U.S. can implement its commitment to
vaccine assistance at an early date and provide tangible help to
developing countries in their fight against the epidemic," Zhao
Lijian, a spokesman at China's foreign ministry, said.
"Unlike the United States, China will not use vaccine
influence to lead the world and will not chant empty slogans
without action," he said at a regular briefing on Tuesday.
The White House has not provided any details about what
countries will receive the shots. Biden said that Jeff Zients,
who heads the U.S. vaccine efforts, will now also lead the
global vaccine push.
The United States has administered more than 272 million
COVID-19 vaccine doses and distributed more than 340 million,
according to federal data updated on Monday morning.
With more and more Americans vaccinated, U.S. deaths from
COVID-19 last week fell to their lowest in nearly 14 months,
while the number of new cases declined for a fifth consecutive
week, according to a Reuters analysis of state and county data.
Biden warned that those who do not get vaccinated "will end
up paying the price" as he lamented that "we're still losing too
many Americans" despite the significant progress.
(Reporting By Steve Holland, Carl O'Donnell and Jarrett
Renshaw; Additional reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Writing by
Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Trevor Hunnicutt, Bill Berkrot and
Andrew Heavens)
