According to a White House official, the United States sent more than 2.2 million Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine doses to South Africa Friday.
The doses were shipped as part of the global vaccination program Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access or COVAX. They are scheduled to arrive in the country on Saturday.
The U.S. has now donated 25 million doses to Africa, with almost eight million going directly to South Africa. The U.S. has set a goal of donating more than 600 million doses by June of 2022. And as part of that figure, President Joe Biden has pledged 500 million Pfizer doses African Union and 92 other low and middle-income nations.
In addition to donating vaccines, the U.S. has pledged to help bolster production in South Africa by providing financing. A financing package was announced in June to help with the production of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Earlier last week, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that the US would donate one million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to Vietnam during a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
