US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will be given 6 million Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines to Latin America and the Caribbean.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, who is also chairman of Caricom, received confirmation in a telephone call with US Vice President Kamala Harris this morning.
The United States Chargé d’Affaires in Trinidad and Tobago, Shante Moore issued the following statement:
“The Biden-Harris Administration announced on June 3 that it is allocating the first 25 million doses out of the 80 million doses the United States has already committed to donating by the end of June. 75 percent of these vaccines, which will be a combination of Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, will go to COVAX to be delivered equitably. The United States will make the final selection of where the vaccines will go but 6 million doses will go to Latin America and the Caribbean.
The U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain has worked closely with regional counterparts, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, and officials in Washington D.C. to ensure the region would be included in this donation. This is an example of what we envision as a strategic bilateral partnership working together to address and resolve issues of mutual importance to the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, and the region.
We are sharing these doses not to secure favors, extract concessions, or pursue hidden agendas. We are not imposing conditions the way other countries are doing. The vaccines are being donated, free and clear. We are giving them for a single purpose – to end the pandemic and save lives.
We are sharing these vaccines, five times more than any other country has shared, to save lives and to lead the world in bringing an end to the pandemic, with the power of our leadership, genuine concerns for humanity, and with our values. And we will continue to follow the science and work in close cooperation with our democratic partners to coordinate a multilateral effort, including through the G7.
Up to 25% of the 25 million vaccine doses will be used to help countries such as India dealing with immediate surges in a flexible manner. We are working on the regulatory and logistical issues of transporting the vaccines and will provide more country-specific information soon.”
