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US gives vaccine supply a boost

The Biden Administration is buying hundreds of millions more doses of the PfizerBioNTech coronavirus vaccine to donate to the world, according to two people familiar with the deal, as the United States looks to increase efforts to share vaccine with the global population.

The Administration was expected to purchase 500 million doses, but the terms had not been finalised, said the people with knowledge of the deal, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The announcement of the purchase is scheduled for early this week, to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly meeting.

The purchase would mark the second major effort by the US to distribute vaccines to the world. In June, it purchased 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to be distributed by Covax, the World Health Organisation (WHO)backed initiative to share doses around the globe, with the supply to be targeted at low- and middle-income countries.

The White House also formally announced yesterday that it will host a virtual summit of world leaders and global health advocates alongside this week’s UN General Assembly meeting. ‘‘This meeting is about expanding and enhancing our shared efforts . . . to rally civil society, NGOs, philanthropists and industry along with world leaders, and align on a common vision for defeating Covid-19 together,’’ White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

US President Joe Biden plans to use the summit to call on global leaders to make new

commitments to fight the coronavirus pandemic, including fully vaccinating 70 per cent of the world’s population by next September, securing billions of additional doses for the developing world, and achieving other targets, according to a list obtained by The Washington Post.

The announcement comes amid growing criticism that the US is not doing enough to help vaccinate the world, especially as its government moves forward with a plan to offer booster shots to Americans.

The WHO has called on countries to stop rolling out

booster shots at least until the end of the year, arguing that poorer countries should have greater access to vaccines. Experts have said 11 billion doses are needed to vaccinate 70 per cent of the global population, a target that would significantly curb the spread of the virus and reduce the risk of new variants emerging.

The Biden Administration has been adamant that the US has enough vaccine supply for both booster shots and global donations.

Global health experts have spent months panning wealthy nations’ efforts to tackle

coronavirus outbreaks in developing countries, calling them insufficient and urging more action. So far, 5.82 billion vaccine doses have been administered globally, but less than 2 per cent of the population in low-income countries has received even one dose.

More than 1800 new virus cases were reported from outbreaks in New South Wales and Victoria as the first shipment of the Moderna vaccine arrived in Australia yesterday.

As well as 1331 cases in NSW and 535 in Victoria, the ACT added 15 locally acquired cases to the national total, as well as a solitary community case from Queensland.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the Moderna doses meant more GP clinics would be able to administer the vaccine. ‘‘My hope is that everybody who has not yet taken the vaccine will come forward over the coming days and weeks and there is sufficient vaccine for every Australian before the end of October.’’

The most recent federal figures show that 70.5 per cent of Australians aged over 16 have received their first vaccine dose, while more than 45 per cent are fully immunised. However, the figures for young age groups remain significantly lower.

Police used capsicum spray to subdue protesters at an antilockdown rally in Melbourne yesterday that saw several arrests.

About 1000 demonstrators gathered in Richmond after the location of the protest was changed at the last minute to try to evade authorities. Some 2000 officers were deployed to try to stop the rally going ahead in breach of public health orders. The city’s CBD became a no-go zone.

Melbourne and Ballarat residents have been granted modestly eased Covid-19 restrictions after reaching 70 per cent first-dose vaccination coverage across Victoria’s eligible population. People can meet one person from another household for a walk or picnic, outdoor exercise time has been doubled, and a travel limit expanded to 10 kilometres. Fully vaccinated adults can see five people from two households, plus dependents, for a picnic.

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2021-09-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-09-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281775632293931

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