The Biden government took a modest first step on Thursday to share coronavirus vaccines with the world, announcing that it plans to send 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca to Canada and 2.5 million to Mexico.
Why does it matter: The vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford has not been approved in the United States, and the White House faces growing criticism for taking doses that could be used elsewhere
- The deal comes in the form of a loan, with the United States sending doses to Canada and Mexico now, with the expectation of returning the doses to the United States later this year.
The big picture: The world has four main sources of coronavirus vaccines: China (33% of all doses produced), the USA (27%), the EU (19%) and India (13%), according to data shared with Axios by Airfinity, the scientific information and analysis company.
- While China exported about 60% of the vaccines it produced – partly due to the low sense of urgency in China, where the virus is largely under control – the United States exported 0%, focusing on covering all American adults.
- India has exported 65% of its production so far through Airfinity, but the CEO of the country’s largest producer said last month that he was “directed to prioritize India’s enormous needs”.
- The EU is having a vigorous debate over whether to tighten export controls, regretting what it considers an imbalance with the US and the UK