EU donating 200M doses of coronavirus vaccines
Published:Thursday | July 22, 2021 | 9:36 AM
BRUSSELS — The European Union says it will donate more than 200 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to middle and low-income countries before the end of the year.
That's double the initial amount the 27-nation bloc had planned to deliver, mainly through COVAX, the WHO-backed programme to provide shots to poorer countries around the world.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen says the EU “takes its responsibility in helping the world fight the virus, everywhere.
Vaccination is key – that's why it is essential to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines to countries worldwide.”
According to the EU, COVAX so far has delivered 122 million doses to 136 countries.
The EU also says it is providing assistance to African countries to help them manufacture vaccines and medicines to reduce the continent's dependence on imports.
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