Emilia vexler
08/05/2021 1:40 PM
Clarín.com
Society
Updated 08/05/2021 1:40 PM
"The virus does not distinguish which country it is in. The strategy must be inclusive."
With that phrase, Gayle Smith, coordinator of the State Department for the Global Response to Covid and United States Health Security, confirmed that Joe Biden's country
will donate more vaccines
against the coronavirus to the world.
But this Thursday, in an audioconference from Washington to which
Clarín
agreed
, he did not give details on whether these new donations
will reach Argentina
.
There were no general figures for Latin America either.
It is not known how many vaccines they will donate or when they will reach the countries that need them most in the region.
We are on the list of candidates.
But
we compete with the battered countries in Africa
, which have extremely low levels of vaccination.
If this happens, more Moderna vaccines could come to Argentina -which would be added to the 3,500.00 already donated- and doses from Pfizer -which would be coupled with those that, it is estimated, will arrive in September-.
But among the new batch of pledged donations
are also Janssen unit doses
.
It should be remembered that this Wednesday the Ministry of Health of the Nation announced that Moderna's vaccine, with messenger RNA technology, will be applied as an alternative, like AstraZeneca, in the absence of the second component of Sputnik V. And the secretary of Access to Health, Sandra Tirado, announced that the doses of Pfizer that reach the country will also be used for the combination of second doses.
President Joe Biden had said Tuesday that the United States sent more than 110 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to more than 60 countries, and that this puts the country
1st in the ranking of vaccine donors
.
"A demonstration that democracy delivers," he said.
The donation race is against China and Russia.
"We have vaccines for each and every American, and at the same time, it is in the national interest to be
able to share some of our vaccines with the world
," Biden said, adding, "As long as the virus continues to rage outside the United States, there will be more possibilities for
new potentially more dangerous variants to reach
our territory
”.
Biden made these statements from the White House, after begging his citizens to resist being vaccinated, in the face of the wave of the delta variant that is hitting the country.
As it already happens in the city of Los Angeles, where intensive therapies begin to fill with patients.
After Biden's words, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
requested more vaccines for Latin America
, which has "only 18% of the vaccinated population."
In the Dominican Republic, for example, vaccines donated by the United States should have arrived in June.
Before the consultation on this delay, in the conference the official mentioned the legal problems that, in the case of Argentina, became a labyrinth through which it was necessary to exit from the top.
"Something we learned is that
donating vaccines is complicated
. There are regulatory standards that we have to work on with governments before vaccines are shipped. So that we are sure that the type of vaccine provided is approved in that country. There are a number of legal steps in terms of safety. We go one by one, with each government, with their representatives, our experts and attorneys, before the vaccines are packaged and shipped, "Smith replied.
"We will do everything we can to
expand vaccine coverage
. And, at the same time, as we respond to this for the coronavirus, (the intention is) to lay the ground on
how the world should be prepared for the next pandemic,
" Smith said , in reference to the inclusion of developing countries in the planning of current and future access to more vaccines. This field must be "efficient, effective, inclusive" and comprehensive in terms of the differences between each country.
Regarding the doubt - perhaps the main one, which stomped in Argentina when the negotiation between the Government and Pfizer was blocked - the US official remarked that Biden makes these donations "as a humanitarian action", without "conditions or requirements" and totally " free".
"The goal is to vaccinate everyone as quickly as we can," he closed.
The promised vaccines
In June, Biden bought 500 million doses of Pfizer to distribute around the world.
He announced that
the first 200 million doses will be distributed throughout this year
.
Earlier, that government had made a commitment to donate at least 80 million doses of vaccines by the end of June.
That figure was exceeded and will continue to grow.
The United States has already donated more doses than the other 24 donor countries combined, according to official United Nations data that Biden was commissioned to highlight on Tuesday.
The vaccines donated by the United States are free "without favoritism or conditions," said Biden,
throwing an obvious dart at Russia and China
, fully engaged in "vaccine diplomacy."
On Tuesday, the White House announced that the doses were shared through Covax, the equitable vaccine distribution initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Most of the doses were manufactured in the United States and shipped to countries that currently have severe flare-up problems: Bangladesh, Colombia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Africa, the continent
lagging behind in vaccines
, received very few doses from the United States.
That is why the questions during the press conference on Thursday pointed to when more would arrive.
"Soon.
Covax had problems with delivery in Africa.
We are in contact with Pfizer to solve it together with the African Union," was the response of Jeremy Konyndyk, executive director of the United States Agency's Task Force on Covid-19. for Development (USAID).
They detailed that that continent could receive 400 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The rest of the inhabitants who have not yet been vaccinated in that country will receive other brands through Covax.
ACE
Look also
Coronavirus: the Government confirmed that the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrive in September
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