Biden Global Vaccination Response Needs Far Greater Ambition

The White House announced today that it has shipped more than 100 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to other countries. Axios has also reported that the White House plans a global COVID response summit during the U.N. General Assembly in September. President Joe Biden is scheduled to speak about U.S. and global vaccination efforts this afternoon. Peter Maybarduk, director of Public Citizen's Access to Medicines program, issued the following statement:

"Every dose helps. Yet 100 million doses amount to only one one-hundredth of the current global need.

"It is critically important that a global COVID summit be more than just PR. Biden has an opportunity to help launch an urgent global vaccine manufacturing, delivery and knowledge sharing program that can end the pandemic. Millions of people have lost their lives waiting for such desperately needed action.

"To do this, the U.S. government and countries worldwide must:

• Invest $25 billion to make eight billion vaccine doses in one year;
• Share knowledge and vaccine recipes to bring regional production hubs online;
• Waive intellectual property rules and call on Moderna and Pfizer to share vaccine recipes; and
• Immediately reallocate excess doses to COVAX.

"The president has said that the U.S. will serve as a vaccine arsenal for the world. Ten thousand people die each day waiting for ambitious action to match this vision."