The United States has confirmed it will give more vaccines, but it is not known if they will reach Argentina

“The virus does not distinguish in which country it is located. The strategy must be inclusive.”

With this sentence, Gayle Smith, State Department Coordinator for the Global Covid Response and United States Health Security, confirmed that Joe Biden’s country will donate more vaccines to the world against the coronavirus.

But this Thursday, during an audio conference in Washington to which he gave his consent Bugle, did not specify whether these new donations they will arrive in Argentina.

There were also no general figures for Latin America. It is not known how many vaccines they will give or when they will reach the countries that need them most in the region.

We are on the list of candidates. Corn We compete with the beaten countries of Africa, which have very low vaccination rates. If that happens, more Moderna vaccines could arrive in Argentina – in addition to the 3,500.00 already given – and doses of Pfizer – which would be coupled with those estimated to arrive in September. But among the new batch of pledges there are also Janssen unit doses.

Recall that this Wednesday the Ministry of Health of the Nation announced that Moderna’s vaccine, with messenger RNA technology, will be applied as an alternative, like AstraZeneca, in the absence of the second part of Sputnik V. Health Access Secretary Sandra Tirado has announced that the doses of Pfizer that reach the country will also be used for the second dose combination.

President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that the United States sent more than 110 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine to more than 60 countries, putting the country 1st in the ranking of vaccine donors. “A demonstration that democracy offers,” he said. The race for donations is against China and Russia.

“We have vaccines for every American, and at the same time, it’s in the national interest be able to share some of our vaccines with the worldBiden said, adding, “As long as the virus continues to rage outside the United States, there will be a better chance that it will reach our territory. new, potentially more dangerous variants are coming”.

Biden made the statements from the White House, after pleading with his citizens to resist vaccination, in the face of the wave of the Delta variant hitting the country. As is already happening in the city of Los Angeles, where intensive therapies are starting to fill up with patients.

After Biden’s words, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) requested more vaccines for Latin America, which accounts for “only 18% of the vaccinated population”.

In the Dominican Republic, for example, vaccines donated by the United States should have arrived in June. Ahead of the consultation on the delay, at the conference, the official touched on the legal issues that in Argentina’s case have become a maze through which to get out from above.

“What we have learned is that vaccine donation is complicated. There are regulatory standards we need to work on with governments before vaccines are shipped. So that we can be sure that the type of vaccine provided is approved in this country. There are a number of legal security measures. We go one by one, with each government, with their representatives, our experts and lawyers, before the vaccines are packaged and shipped, ”Smith replied.

“We will do our utmost to expand immunization coverage. And, at the same time, as we respond to that for the coronavirus, (the intention is) to lay the groundwork on how the world should be prepared for the next pandemic“said Smith, referring to the inclusion of developing countries in planning for current and future access to more vaccines. This area should be” effective, efficient, inclusive “and comprehensive in terms of the differences between each. country.

Regarding the doubt – perhaps the main one, which stalled in Argentina when negotiations between the government and Pfizer were blocked – the US official noted that Biden is making these donations “as a humanitarian aid”, without “conditions. no requirements “and totally” free “. “The goal is to vaccinate everyone as quickly as possible,” he concluded.

The promised vaccines

In June, Biden purchased 500 million doses of Pfizer for distribution around the world. Announced that the first 200 million doses will be distributed throughout this year. Previously, this government had pledged to donate at least 80 million doses of vaccines by the end of June. This figure has been exceeded and will continue to grow.

The United States has already donated more doses than the other 24 donor countries combined, according to official United Nations data that Biden was asked to highlight on Tuesday.

The vaccines donated by the United States are free “with no favoritism or conditions,” Biden said. throw an obvious dart at Russia and China, fully engaged in “vaccine diplomacy”.

On Tuesday, the White House announced that the doses were being shared through Covax, the equitable vaccine distribution initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO). Most of the doses were manufactured in the United States and shipped to countries currently experiencing serious epidemic problems: Bangladesh, Colombia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Africa, the continent the latest in vaccines, received very few doses from the United States. That is why questions posed at Thursday’s press conference indicated when more would arrive.

“Soon. Covax has had delivery issues in Africa. We are in contact with Pfizer to resolve it with the African Union, ”replied Jeremy Konyndyk, executive director of the United States Development Agency’s (USAID) Covid-19 working group. They detailed that this continent could receive 400 million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine The rest of the people who have not yet been vaccinated in this country will receive other brands through Covax.

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