President Joe Biden warned of “the next pandemic” as he announced a plan to provide $1.4 billion in Covid relief to foreign countries during Wednesday’s Covid-19 summit.
Biden said that the key to beating the pandemic is vaccinating as many people as possible around the world. The administration needs an additional 5 billion vaccines to reach its goal of vaccinating 70% of the world’s population within a year.
“We know that we have to act to save lives now,” the president said. “That’s why the United States is providing nearly $1.4 billion to reduce Covid-19 deaths and mitigate transmission through bulk oxygen support, expanded testing, and strengthening health care systems and more.” (RELATED: Nearly Half The Country Threatens To Sue Biden Over Vaccine Mandate)
The U.S. plans to support “the establishment of financial mechanisms for global health security … to prepare for the next pandemic,” Biden added. “Because there will be a next time, we all know that.”
Biden: “The United States is providing nearly $1.4 billion [to foreign countries] to reduce Covid-19 deaths and mitigate transmission through bulk oxygen support, extended testing, and strengthening health care systems.” pic.twitter.com/jugAByTTfj
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 22, 2021
Biden also announced that the U.S. will purchase 500 million Pfizer vaccines for low and lower-middle-income countries. The administration will begin shipping the doses to other countries in January, and their goal is to export around 800 million doses between January and September of 2022.
“This is a huge commitment by the U.S.,” one administration official said. “In fact, for every one shot we have administered in this country to date, we are now donating three shots to other countries. One shot here today; three shots committed for the world. No other country or group of countries have come close to that.”