Jun 28, 2021 - Politics & Policy

U.S. ships first 2 million Pfizer COVID vaccine doses to Peru

Yacob Reyes

Nurse prepares to administer vaccine. — Photo: A. Perez Meca/Europa Press via Getty Images

The Biden administration will begin shipping 2 million doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine abroad Monday, with the first batch expected to arrive in Peru directly from the U.S. this week, CNN reports.

Why it matters: President Biden has pledged to make the U.S. "an arsenal of vaccines for the world," and reached a deal earlier this month to purchase 500 million doses from Pfizer to share with other countries.

The big picture: The U.S. will also ship 2.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to Pakistan through the World Health Organization's global vaccination program —COVAX, a White House official told CNN.

The Biden administration has vowed to allocate 80 million doses of the U.S. vaccine supply by the end of June, with nearly three-quarters of those being delivered through COVAX, which is co-led by vaccine alliance Gavi.
The White House did not confirm the number it has donated, but an official told CNN the administration is "currently working through the final stages of clearing all domestic regulatory, legal, and operational hurdles to share every single drop of the 80 million doses we have promised."

Go deeper: U.S. announces destinations for 55 million more COVID vaccine doses

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U.S. ships first 2 million Pfizer COVID vaccine doses to Peru

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