Washington, DC – Foreign Policy for America applauds the Biden administration’s recently announced commitment to share 500 million vaccine doses to low-income countries battling COVID-19. FP4A further supports the decision to distribute these vaccines through the COVAX facility, ensuring these lifesaving doses go where they are most needed without regard to politics or nationality.
No one will be safe from this pandemic until everyone is and U.S. leadership is essential to help turn the tide against this disease. We hope to see President Biden leverage this pledge to secure additional commitments from G7 partners at this week’s summit.
While today’s announcement is an important step toward vaccinating the world, distributing shots is only the beginning. The U.S. must also ensure those shots actually get in arms, especially when it comes to displaced populations and other vulnerable communities. Access to a vaccine for people displaced by crises is a daunting challenge, and any vaccine distribution plan must be coupled with efforts to rebuild health systems that have been ravaged by this pandemic.
“Taking a lead role in the global fight against COVID-19 is not just the right thing for the U.S. to do, it is the smart thing to do. More vaccinations mean fewer chances for dangerous variants to develop and a shorter road to global economic recovery,” said Ben Weingrod, Senior Director for Policy at Foreign Policy for America. “It’s also in line with what the American people want to see. Recent polling shows the majority of Americans across the political spectrum want to see the U.S. step up to the plate to lead efforts to distribute vaccines globally.”
“President Biden’s work with the G-7 offers bold US leadership on equitable access to vaccines in the global South and future pandemic preparedness and response,” said Ambassador Mark P. Lagon, Chief Policy Officer for the Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and a FP4A advisor. “He is wise to leverage the best existing multilateral and US assets for health security and justice.”
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