Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
2.5 Million Vaccine Doses Head To Taiwan, Tripling Previous US Pledge
Reuters: U.S. Triples Vaccines For Taiwan With 2.5 Million-Dose Shipment
The United States shipped 2.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan on Saturday, more than tripling Washington’s previous allocation of shots for the island, which has faced increasing political and military pressure from China. Washington, competing with Beijing to deepen geopolitical clout through so-called “vaccine diplomacy,” initially had promised to donate 750,000 doses to Taiwan but increased that number as President Joe Biden’s administration advances its pledge to send 80 million U.S.-made shots around the world. (Martina, Brunnstrom and Shalal, 6/20)
AP: US Sends Taiwan 2.5 Million Vaccine Doses, Tripling Pledge
The U.S. sent 2.5 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan on Sunday, tripling an earlier pledge in a donation with both public health and geopolitical meaning. The shipment arrived on a China Airlines cargo plane that had left Memphis the previous day. Health Minister Chen Shih-chung and Brent Christensen, the top U.S. official in Taiwan, were among those who welcomed the plane on the tarmac at the airport outside of the capital, Taipei. (6/20)
