Biden Announces Vaccine Supply Plan Ahead of UN General Assembly

US Public Health Service Chief Reveals
Vaccine Summit Likely to Be Held Among Major Countries
Leaders Expected to Pressure for Increased Vaccine Donations During UN General Assembly

An Indonesian woman is receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to hold a vaccine summit and announce measures to expand COVID-19 vaccine supply ahead of the United Nations General Assembly at the end of this month. This is interpreted as an attempt to preemptively block criticism from world leaders at the UN General Assembly regarding the expansion of vaccine supply by the United States.

On the 12th (local time), Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General, said in an interview with CNN, "President Biden will announce additional steps to support global vaccination efforts ahead of the UN General Assembly general debate."

Murthy predicted, "There will be more actions we can take on the front lines against the global COVID-19 virus."

The general debate, where UN member state leaders deliver speeches, will begin on the 21st.

Earlier, President Biden also mentioned that he would announce additional plans to support global vaccine efforts this month while announcing mandatory vaccination for federal employees and private companies with over 100 employees, but he did not specify details.

Previously, under the leadership of the Biden administration, the Group of Seven (G7) countries pledged to donate over 600 million vaccine doses by mid-2022. The United States committed to 500 million of these doses.

The problem is that this amount is widely considered insufficient to curb the spread of COVID-19, which continues to rage amid the spread of the Delta variant.

Currently, the United States has donated 140 million vaccine doses overseas.

U.S. media outlets such as The Washington Post have also reported, citing officials, that President Biden plans to convene a separate vaccine summit during the UN General Assembly.

An anonymous U.S. government official told The Washington Post, "We hope President Biden will have the opportunity to discuss this issue with other world leaders during the UN General Assembly."

The Biden administration’s stance on the vaccine summit came after WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged advanced countries in August to halt booster shots until the end of the year. This is linked to the U.S. decision on booster shots.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki responded to Director-General Ghebreyesus’s claim by saying, "It is justified for the U.S. government to try to protect American citizens."

President Biden’s speech at the UN General Assembly is scheduled for today, the 21st, as the second speaker following Brazil. The White House has not yet announced whether President Biden will attend the assembly virtually or in person.

President Moon Jae-in’s speech is also scheduled for this afternoon.

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