According to three sources familiar with the matter, the Biden administration plans to donate 500 million Pfizer coronavirus vaccine doses to approximately 100 countries over the next two years.
They estimate that the United States will distribute 200 million shots this year and 300 million in the first half of next year. They added that they would donate them to 92 low-income countries and the African Union.
The donations will be routed through the COVAX vaccine facility, which is backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization and distributes COVID-19 shots to low- and middle-income countries (GAVI).
According to one of the people, US President Joe Biden will announce the deal Thursday during the Group of Seven meetings of the world’s wealthiest countries in the United Kingdom.
According to one of the sources, the deal was negotiated over the last four weeks by White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients and the coronavirus task force team.
The White House and Pfizer did not respond to requests for comment. Before boarding Air Force One for Britain, President Obama told reporters that he had a global vaccine strategy and would announce it shortly, but did not provide details.
According to the New York Times, the United States will purchase the doses at a “not-for-profit” price, citing sources familiar with the matter. Additionally, they reported that Biden will be accompanied during the announcement by Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.
The agreement is in addition to the 300 million shots already purchased by the US from Pfizer, bringing the total number of Pfizer/BioNTech shots purchased by the US to 800 million, according to the Times.
By the end of June, the Biden administration had stated that it would share 80 million vaccine doses globally.
