The United States has donated more than 500 million covid vaccines to other countries, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday in a statement obtained by AFP.
“The United States has shared around 500 million doses of safe and effective covid-19 vaccines, at no cost, to more than 110 countries and economies in the world, with the sole purpose of saving lives,” Blinken said.
The goal is more than doubling that figure to 1.1 billion doses as the pandemic remains around the world.
The head of US diplomacy said that since the onset of the coronavirus more than two years ago they have contributed $20 billion in health, humanitarian and economic assistance to more than 120 countries.
Blinken cited examples of US-sponsored vaccination programs in Paraguay, Zambia, Malawi, and Thailand.
“We have also invested and supported the expansion of regional production of covid-19 vaccines in Africa and Asia,” said the politician.
“This work is critical because the pandemic is not over. Many lives remain at risk globally as countries battle with omicron and we face the possibility of new variants,” he added.
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