Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has welcomed the recent announcement by United States President Joe Biden stating that the country will share 80 million of its COVID-19 vaccine doses globally by the end of June.
President Biden declared June a “national month of action” on the coronavirus pandemic. He has set a goal of a 70 percent national vaccination rate by the 4th of July. Some 40 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated.
But Biden is not only committed to achieving herd immunity in the United States, but the entire world. President Biden recently announced that he would be sharing 80 million vaccine doses with countries around the world this month. He said that America will never be completely safe until the world achieves herd immunity.
“As long as this pandemic is raging anywhere in the world, the American people will still be vulnerable,” Biden said in a statement. “And the United States is committed to bringing the same urgency to international vaccination efforts that we have demonstrated at home.”
America will share the first batch of vaccines, with 25 million doses, in the coming days. Prime Minister Holness said that Jamaica has taken particular note that CARICOM countries will be among those in the first tranche to receive vaccines.
He was careful to also highlight that while the process between announcement and inoculation may take some time, it gives greater certainty of a more even global recovery.
About 25 percent of the vaccines will be kept in reserve for emergencies and for the U.S. to share directly with allies and partners.
Of the first tranche of 25 million doses, about 19 million will go to the World Health Organization-backed global vaccine sharing programme, with approximately six million for South and Central America nations, including Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries. Seven million will be set aside for Asia, and five million has been earmarked for Africa.
