Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden To Commit $4 Billion To Bolster Global Vaccine Initiative
NPR: Biden To Announce $4 Billion For Global COVID-19 Vaccine Effort
President Biden is set on Friday to announce a total of $4 billion in contributions to COVAX, the vaccine alliance trying to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to 92 low- and middle-income countries, a senior administration official told reporters. Biden will make the announcement during a virtual meeting of G-7 leaders about the pandemic. (Wise, 2/18)
AP: Biden Rolling Out Plan For $4 Billion Global Vaccine Effort
Joe Biden will use his first big presidential moment on the global stage at Friday’s Group of Seven meeting of world leaders to announce that the U.S. will soon begin releasing $4 billion for an international effort to bolster the purchase and distribution of coronavirus vaccine to poor nations, White House officials said. Biden will also encourage G-7 partners to make good on their pledges to COVAX, an initiative by the World Health Organization to improve access to vaccines, according to a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview Biden’s announcement. (Madhani, 2/18)
The Washington Post: White House Announces $4 Billion In Funding For Covax, The Global Vaccine Effort That Trump Spurned
The White House is throwing its support behind a global push to distribute coronavirus vaccines equitably, pledging $4 billion to a multilateral effort the Trump administration spurned. At a Group of Seven meeting of leaders of the world’s largest economies Friday, President Biden will announce an initial $2 billion in funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to be used by the Covax Facility, senior administration officials said in a briefing. (Rauhala, Cunningham and Taylor, 2/18)
In related news —
Politico: U.S. Won’t Share Vaccine Before All Americans Receive Shots, Officials Say
The Biden administration won’t donate to poor countries any of the coronavirus vaccine doses the U.S. has purchased before most Americans are vaccinated, a senior administration official told reporters Thursday. The comments come one day before Biden will join the G7 virtual meeting, where leaders of major industrialized nations are set to address anxiety over a global vaccine rollout that’s left behind poor countries. (Paun, 2/18)
