The U.S. announced Monday it would share its entire supply of AstraZeneca PLC’s COVID-19 vaccine with other countries and was readying an aid package for India, as President Joe Biden pivots to ramp up U.S. pandemic assistance to the rest of the world.
The decision would make as many as 60 million vaccine doses available for export in coming months, if they clear a federal safety review. The plan represents a shift for Biden, who has hesitated to give vaccine doses and materials to other countries while focusing on ensuring Americans are vaccinated first.
"Given the strong portfolio of vaccines that the United States has already authorized and that is already available in large quantities — including two two-dose vaccines and one one-dose vaccine — and given AstraZeneca is not authorized for use in the United States, we do not need to use AstraZeneca in our fight against COVID over the next few months,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Monday.