"Rapid Action Needed": US Lawmakers On Global Covid Vaccine Sharing Plan

US has said that it will allocate 75 per cent of unused COVID-19 vaccines from its stockpile through the UN-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing programme to other countries.

Top American lawmakers on Thursday welcomed the decision of the Joe Biden Administration to ship 25 million COVID-19 vaccines abroad, including India. "I welcome the news that the Biden Administration will be sending 25 million vaccine doses to our partners abroad to help them combat their COVID-19 outbreaks, but this is an unfortunately small step forward when drastic, rapid action is needed," Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said. US President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that the US will allocate 75 per cent - nearly 1.9 crore of the first tranche of 2.5 crore doses - of unused COVID-19 vaccines from its stockpile through the UN-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing programme to countries in South and Southeast Asia as well as Africa as part of his administration's framework for sharing 80 million (8 crore) vaccines globally by the end of June. US Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and three other world leaders and informed them that the US will start sharing the first 25 million (2.5 crore) doses of Covid vaccines to their respective countries.