[ad_1]
WASHINGTON (AP) – The United States plans to send 4 million combined doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Mexico and Canada during its first vaccine export, the White House said Thursday.
Press secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration was finalizing efforts to distribute 2.5 million doses in Mexico and 1.5 million in Canada as a “loan.” Details are still being worked out.
“Our first priority remains immunizing the American population,” Psaki said during the daily briefing. But she added that “ensuring that our neighbors can contain the virus is a mission essential step, is essential to end the pandemic”.
AstraZeneca’s vaccine has not been authorized in the United States, but the company is expected to share the results of its late-stage US study and seek authorization in the coming weeks. The World Health Organization, European regulators and dozens of countries have approved the injections based on studies done in the UK and elsewhere.
Tens of millions of doses have been stored in the United States when cleared, triggering an international outcry that life-saving doses are being withheld when they could be used elsewhere.
Over the past week, several countries have suspended their use of the vaccine following reports of clots in tens of millions of people across Europe who have been vaccinated. On Thursday, the European medicines regulator said injections do not increase the overall risk of blood clots, and the benefits far outweigh the risks. Still, the debate has raised fears that the issue of safety could undermine confidence in AstraZeneca’s vaccine, which is critical to vaccination efforts in several countries.
Psaki said several countries had requested access to U.S. vaccines, but had nothing to add to other distributions.
Mexico’s Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said via Twitter that Mexico was receiving the vaccine following the conversation between President Joe Biden and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador earlier this month. “Good news!” he wrote.
“God bless America, they are coming to our rescue,” said Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the head of Canada’s most populous province. He thanked Biden for his willingness to share the vaccines.
“And once I get them, I’ll call you a champion, but I have to get the delivery first, so thank you.” I appreciate it. We waited. That’s what real neighbors do. They help each other in times of crisis, ”he says. “We’ll take any vaccines you can give us, so that’s great news.”
The Biden administration said that once U.S. citizens are vaccinated, the next step is to make sure Canada and Mexico are able to handle the pandemic so the borders can reopen.
Although the Canadian economy is closely interconnected with the United States, Washington has so far failed to allow exporting any of the hundreds of millions of doses of vaccines made in America, and Canada has had to look to Europe. and Asia.
Difficulties in the vaccine supply chain forced Canada to extend the time between the first and second vaccine to four months so that everyone could be protected faster with the primary dose. The hope is to get all adults at least one shot by the end of June.
Canadian regulators have approved the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, but their acquisition has proven difficult.
Canada ranks 20th for the number of doses administered, with more than 8% of the adult population receiving at least one vaccine. This compares to almost 45% in the UK and almost 30% in the US. Mexico ranks around 10th for the number of doses given, with 3.3% of the total population receiving at least one injection.
AstraZeneca is among the vaccines that have received emergency approval in Mexico, and Mexico already has 870,000 doses of this vaccine. It also has Pfizer, SinoVac and Sputnik V for a total of over 8 million doses. One million doses of SinoVac arrived from Hong Kong on Thursday.
US storage of the AstraZeneca vaccine has also been controversial with other allies. The European Union, made up of 27 countries, had struggled to approach Biden to share vaccine supplies so the disease could be stopped overseas, which would not only help save lives, but also improve the global economic growth.
___
Sherman reported from Mexico City and Gillies from Toronto.
[ad_2]
Source link