US to Donate 60 Million Doses of AZ Vaccine Overseas

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The United States has decided to supply 60 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, which it has stockpiled but not used, to overseas countries.

On the 26th (local time), the Associated Press, citing a senior White House official, reported that the U.S. will begin supplying the stockpiled vaccines overseas starting next month.

The vaccine in question is the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine, which has not been approved for use in the United States. The U.S. plans to start supplying it once safety for vaccine distribution is ensured. President Joe Biden stated last week that he is reviewing how to utilize the stockpiled vaccines.

This is interpreted as the justification for stockpiling the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is no longer used, has diminished in the situation where the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which had been halted due to blood clot issues, has resumed.

Jeff Zients, the White House COVID-19 coordinator, mentioned, "Since the U.S. has secured and received emergency use authorization for three types of vaccines, there is no need to use the AstraZeneca vaccine for the time being."

The U.S. government has a supply contract for 300 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Last month, the U.S. announced the supply of 4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Canada and Mexico.

The U.S. faced criticism of vaccine nationalism for not expressing willingness to supply vaccines while India is suffering severe damage due to large-scale infections exceeding 300,000 people per day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.