Biden Administration to Send 4 Million Doses of AstraZeneca Vaccine to Canada and Mexico

The Biden Administration is finalizing plans to loan 4 million surplus doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Canada and Mexico, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed Thursday. This would be the first time the U.S. directly shared vaccines with another country. “Our first priority remains vaccinating the U.S. population, but the reality is the pandemic knows no borders,” Psaki said. Reuters and the Washington Post first reported the story earlier that day via anonymous administration sources. The Biden administration currently has about 7 million doses of the vaccine, but the FDA has not yet authorized its use. The U.S. is currently administering over 2.4 million vaccine doses daily, with 22.2% of Americans having received at least one dose. Coverage was mostly balanced across the spectrum, with left- and center-rated outlets publishing articles earlier than right-rated outlets. Coverage in some left-rated outlets linked the move to "vaccine diplomacy." Some coverage from both the right and the left addressed speculation that the deal was a part of negotiations with Mexico on managing a growing number of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.