US donates 1.5Mn Moderna vaccines: US Embassy

17 July 2021 12:00 am Views - 189

• Says our vaccines do not come with strings attached
• Done with the singular objective of saving lives
• The U.S. is committed to leading the global response to this pandemic

The U. S. Ambassador Alaina Teplitz said the consignment of 1.5 million of COVID-19 vaccines would help Sri Lankans get back to work and to stay healthy, and it was a gift her country made in reflection of the long-standing friendship between the two countries. 

According to a statement from the U.S. Embassy said the U.S. donated over 1.5 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Sri Lanka. 
“Our partnership with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and other global COVAX partners to deliver these vaccines is critical to controlling the pandemic, slowing the emergence of new variants and helping to restart the global economy,” the ambassador said as quoted in the statement. 

This vaccine delivery builds on the United States government’s ongoing leadership on global vaccination efforts as the world’s largest donor to COVAX. The 1.5 million doses delivered to the Sri Lankan Government yesterday are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to providing equitable global access to safe and effective vaccines. As noted by the White House, “Our vaccines do not come with strings attached. We are doing this with the singular objective of saving lives.” 

COVAX is a platform that provides safe, effective, and high-quality WHO-authorised COVID-19 vaccines to countries around the world. As the global leader in public health assistance and the largest single donor supporting COVAX, the U.S. has already donated $2 billion to the programme to combat the pandemic.