U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology

06/14/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/14/2021 16:16

Chairs Johnson and Foster Applaud Administration Pledge to Provide 500 Million U.S. COVID-19 Vaccines for Global Distribution

June 14, 2021

Chairs Johnson and Foster Applaud Administration Pledge to Provide 500 Million U.S. COVID-19 Vaccines for Global Distribution

(Washington, DC) - Last week, the United States and G-7 Leaders announced the commitment to provide more than one billion safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines to accelerate global coverage. As part of this effort, the Biden Administration announced that the United States will provide 500 million doses. This is the world's largest-ever purchase and donation of vaccines by a single country.

'Getting vaccinated is the clear path forward towards ending the COVID-19 pandemic,' said Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX). 'This is true not only for Americans, but for individuals around the globe who continue to fight this mutating virus. We are moving into the summer with hope for a return to normalcy, as more than half of Americans are fully vaccinated. However, as long as the COVID-19 persists in anywhere in the world, there is potential new and more threatening variants. No country is out of the woods until every country has the ability to reach herd immunity. I applaud President Biden and the leaders of the G-7 for their pledge to provide more than 1 billion additional COVID-19 vaccine doses for the world, half of which will come directly from the United States. I am confident that if we all do our part, we will emerge from this pandemic safer and stronger.'

'America is at its best when we are leading the world, not hiding from it,' said Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Bill Foster (D-IL). 'Thanks to the tireless work of scientists who developed safe and effective vaccines, the United States has seen COVID infections and hospitalizations drop to record lows - a testament to their efficacy. President Biden's decision to help provide struggling nations with access to vaccines will help save lives and help the world overcome this pandemic. This is the type of American leadership that the world has been desperate to see once again.'