US Hits 200 Million COVID Vaccine Donations Worldwide

The United States on Thursday marked the successful distribution of 200 million COVID-19 vaccines to more than 100 countries, a move the White House says fulfills President Joe Biden's vow to become "the world's arsenal of vaccines."  "Today, Americans have 200 million reasons to be proud," read a statement from U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power. "USAID is honored to be at the forefront of this global vaccination effort unprecedented in scale, speed, and complexity, to counter the worst pandemic in modern history."  Those donations have come rapid-fire in a matter of months, with large tranches going out recently to lower-income nations. Last week, the White House announced it was donating 17 million doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine to the African Union, bringing the total donation to the 55-state body to 50 million doses. In September, Biden announced U.S. plans to donate more than one billion vaccines to low- and lower-middle income nations. USAID said it is working to help provide those nations with related needs such as testing, treatment and protective equipment.  But as these donations have increased, the White House has also faced criticism over its push for already vaccinated Americans to receive boosters when many people across the globe have yet to receive a single dose. Administration officials dismissed it as a false choice, saying they can protect the already vaccinated U.S. population while also sharing with the world.  On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the use of booster shots for those who received the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines — a move that Tom Hart, acting CEO of the ONE Campaign, said could imperil the U.S.'s ambitious donation goals. The anti-poverty advocacy group noted that, as of this week, 84% of the vaccine doses promised to low- and lower-middle income countries have not been delivered. "While some argue that we can both administer boosters and vaccinate the world, the simple fact is that boosters divert supply from an urgent area of need — administering first shots around the world," he said. "Wealthy countries are already woefully off track in delivering the vaccines they have promised to share to date, and it will take significant ambition, funding, and speed to reach the goal of 70 percent of the world by September 2022."  Globally, the virus has killed 4.9 million people in under two years, according to World Health Organization data. At the height of the AIDS pandemic, in the years 2005 and 2006, just under 2 million people died of that virus each year.