Highlighting the importance of the Quad grouping in the United States' COVID-19 vaccine initiative, President Joe Biden said that Washington's Quad partnership with India, Japan and Australia will help produce at least one billion doses in India to boost the global supply of the vaccine.
Biden made these remarks as announced that the US will be giving more than USD 370 million to help deliver and administer vaccines globally.
"Today, the United States is also announcing that we're providing an additional USD 370 million to support administering these shots and delivery globally," Biden said during remarks at a 'Global Summit to End COVID-19' on the margins of the UN General Assembly.
"Our Quad partnership with India, Japan and Australia is on track to help produce at least one billion vaccine doses in India to boost the global supply by the end of 2022."
Earlier today, a senior US Administration Official had informed United States is set to purchase an additional 500 million Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to donate to low- and middle-income countries around the world,
Confirming the development, Biden said the US is buying another half-billion dose of Pfizer to donate to low and middle-income countries around the world. "This is another half-billion doses that will all be shipped by this time next year."
"It brings our total commitment to over 1.1 billion vaccines to be donated. To put it another way, for every one shot we have administered to date in America, we have now committed to do three shots to the rest of the world," he added.
Taking a veiled jibe at China, Biden said that there are no "political strings attached" to these vaccines donated by the US.
The US President also proposed holding a second virtual summit on the COVID-19 pandemic in the first quarter of 2022 to monitor the progress made maintain the international response efforts aligned.
He also launched the EU-US vaccine partnership to work closely together and expanding global vaccination.
( With inputs from ANI )
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