British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Thursday that the Group of Seven (G7) countries have committed to globally distributing one billion COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of 2022.
Johnson’s office said the initial five million UK doses would be distributed in the coming weeks, according to The Associated Press. US President Joe Biden said 500 million US-manufactured vaccines would be shipping in August.
Johnson’s announcement on the eve of the G-7 leaders’ summit in England came hours after Biden committed to donating 500 million COVID-19 vaccine doses and previewed a coordinated effort by the advanced economies to make vaccination widely and speedily available everywhere, the Associated press reports.
Earlier, President Biden said that on Friday, the G7 countries — the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, and Italy — will share more details on their vaccine donation commitments. The U.S. will donate 500 million doses on top of 80 million doses already pledged, Biden said, adding, “We’re going to help lead the world out of this pandemic working alongside our global partners.”
The U.S. doses will be manufactured by Pfizer, and will be distributed beginning in August through the COVAX alliance to 92 lower-income countries and the African Union, The Associated Press reports. “Our vaccine donations don’t include pressure for favors or potential concessions,” Biden said. “We’re doing this to save lives, to end this pandemic, that’s it. Our values call on us to do everything that we can to vaccinate the world against COVID-19.”
“The move, to be outlined at the start of the three-day summit on Friday, is designed to address criticism that wealthy western governments have secured the bulk of life-saving Covid-19 vaccines from manufacturers to immunise their own populations. The vow is also an attempt to counter ‘vaccine diplomacy’ by Beijing and Moscow, which have been quick to sell their jabs to developing nations.” — Financial Times reported.
(With inputs from agencies)
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