President Joe Biden on Friday said the United States will be the "arsenal of vaccines" to combat coronavirus, as he announced that Washington will donate 500 million doses of "no strings attached" vaccines for the global fight against the pandemic.
"And today, we're taking a major step that will supercharge the global fight against this pandemic. At my direction, the United States will purchase an additional half-billion doses from Pfizer -- the Pfizer vaccine -- that we'll donate to nearly 100 low- and lower-middle-income countries," said Biden.
"That's a historic step. The largest single purchase and donation of COVID-19 vaccines by any single country ever," the US President said after he met British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday as part of the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in the UK.
On Thursday, the White House had announced that the US will purchase and donate half a billion Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to 92 low-income countries and the African Union (AU).
"Just as with the 80 million doses we previously announced, the United States is providing these half-billion doses with no strings attached," Biden said. "Let me say it again: with no strings attached."
The White House on Thursday had said that this is the largest-ever purchase and donation of vaccines by a single country and a commitment by the American people to help protect people around the world from COVID-19.
The vaccines to low-income countries will start shipping in August. As many as 200 million doses will be delivered by the end of this year and the remaining 300 million will be delivered in the first half of 2022.
The US will allocate these doses to low and lower-middle-income nations around the world, working through COVAX to deliver them.
( With inputs from ANI )
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