US ambassador: Laos can expect more Covid-19 vaccines supported by US

Additional Covid-19 vaccines supported by the United States government are expected to arrive in Laos in the future to immunise people in Laos against the Covid-19 virus, US Ambassador to Laos Dr Peter M. Haymond has said.
Earlier this year, the US announced it would contribute within this year US$2 billion to the COVAX Facility – a global partnership that aims to ensure equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines - to purchase Covid-19 vaccines for countries in need, including Laos.

“AstraZeneca has come, Pfizer has come and there is more to come further on through COVAX,” the diplomat said, adding that the vaccines have been supported by the US and other partners, with the US as a key supporter.
Dr Haymond gave an interview to the media on Friday during an official ceremony to hand over 1,008,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine donated by the US to Laos through the COVAX Facility.
In addition to the financial support given to COVAX, President Joe Biden announced that the US would donate vaccine.
In May this year, he announced that the US would donate 80 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to numerous countries. The 1,008,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine that handed to Laos on Friday was part of these 80 million doses.
In addition, President Biden announced in June that the US would donate an additional 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to 92 countries, including Laos.
200 million doses will be delivered by the end of this year and the remaining 300 million will be delivered in the first half of 2022.
The number of doses to be sent to each country will be determined by the White House, the Ambassador added.
“But what is absolutely true is that we will continue to support the Lao government in various ways with training, funding, equipment and through COVAX to achieve its goal this year, next year and after,” he said.
“We are doing our best now to help support the Lao government in its vaccination campaign for this year and after.”
Dr Haymond said the US government has announced that it will provide another US$2 billion to COVAX next year to purchase more vaccines for countries in need.
The COVAX Facility is a partnership co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organisation, with UNICEF as the key delivery partner.
Dr Haymond said the US government began helping the Lao government prepare for a pandemic many years ago, given that a pandemic was inevitable as they had occurred in the past.
The support included training and preparation so that Lao doctors and epidemiologists were well prepared for such an event.

By Souksakhone Vaenkeo
(Latest Update July 22, 2021)