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Biden Pledges 500 Million Doses of the Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine to Developing Nations

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Cornwall, United Kingdom – President Biden on Thursday announced that the United States will purchase half a billion doses of the BioNTech-Pfizer coronavirus vaccine which will be donated to 100 low- and lower-middle-income countries, “that are in dire need in the fight against this pandemic.”

Biden made the remarks after his meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of the G7 Summit in Cornwall.

Biden said that two hundred million of these doses will be delivered starting in August this year, and 300 million more will be delivered in the first half of 2022. This is in addition to the 80 million excess doses of COVID-19 vaccines that are to be distributed by the end of June.

“Let me be clear: Just as with the 80 million doses we previously announced, the United States is providing these half million [billion] doses with no strings attached,” added Biden.

“We have supported manufacturing efforts abroad through our partnerships with Japan, India, and Australia — known as the “Quad.” We’ve shared doses with our neighbors Canada and Mexico,” said Biden.

“And from the beginning of my presidency, we have been clear-eyed that we need to attack this virus globally as well. This is about our responsibility — our humanitarian obligation to save as many lives as we can — and our responsibility to our values.”

Biden emphasized the United States commitment to strengthen global health , adding that “in this moment, our values call on us to do everything that we can to vaccinate the world against COVID-19.”

Commenting that the US is not alone in this effort, Biden said that under the UK chairmanship, G7 democracies of the world are ready to deliver as well. There will be an announcement tomorrow by the G7 nations on the COVID-19 vaccination program and the effort to defeat COVID-19 globally.

Global Focus: COVID-19, Variants, and Vaccines

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Washington, DC – Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic on March 11, 2020, it has continued to take a toll on the world.

This month India reported the world’s highest increase in coronavirus infections, leading to a shortage of oxygen and hospital space across the nation. The sharp rise in cases has been attributed to super spreader political rallies and religious festivals. Scientists are still examining whether a novel coronavirus variant – containing two key mutations to the spike portion of the virus – is contributing to the surge.

On May 10, the World Health Organization said it was classifying the B.1.617 variant – the Indian coronavirus variant identified last year – as a variant of global concern. According to WHO, the predominant lineage of B.1.617 was first identified in India last December, although a previous version was identified in October 2020.

“We are classifying this as a variant of concern at a global level,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical lead on COVID-19. “There is some available information to suggest increased transmissibility.”

Initial laboratory-based studies of limited sample size indicate that B.1.617 spreads more easily, according to WHO, but more information is required to determine how much of the variant is circulating.

The B.1.617 variant is the fourth variant to be classified as a variant of global concern, necessitating increased analysis and tracking. Other variants include the ones first detected in Britain, South Africa and Brazil. According to GISAID, B.1.617 has been reported in 50 countries so far, with over 2000 cases in the UK and more than 700 in the US.

Indian authorities recently approved a locally developed drug (2-deoxy-D-glucose or 2-DG) authorizing its use for treating patients with COVID-19. 2-DG was developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) with the pharmaceutical company Dr Reddy’s. The government said it “will be of immense benefit to the people suffering” from Covid-19.

In a press release the Indian government said, “Clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence.”

However, health experts point to the paucity of clinical trial data on the drug’s performance, casting doubt on its emergency approval as a treatment for COVID.

Currently mRNA vaccines remain the most effective means of preventing severe illness from COVID-19. A new CDC assessment that finds fully vaccinated adults 65 years and older were 94% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people of the same age who were not vaccinated. People 65 and older who were partially vaccinated were 64% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people who were not vaccinated.

CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, said, “COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective and these real-world findings confirm the benefits seen in clinical trials, preventing hospitalizations among those most vulnerable. The results are promising for our communities and hospitals. As our vaccination efforts continue to expand, COVID-19 patients will not overwhelm health care systems – leaving hospital staff, beds, and services available for people who need them for other medical conditions.”