US to Share 60 Million AstraZeneca Vaccine Doses With Other Countries

On Monday, the White House announced the U.S. will begin sharing its entire stock of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines with the world after it passes federal safety reviews. The U.S. is expected to distribute as many as 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, already widely used around the world but not yet authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that, “given AstraZeneca is not authorized for use in the United States, we do not need to use AstraZeneca in our fight against covid over the next few months.” President Joe Biden spoke with Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, Monday, and pledged to provide emergency assistance and resources amid rising cases and hospital overcrowding in the country. On Sunday, the White House said it would send protective gear, rapid diagnostic test kits and ventilators to India. Approximately 53% of the U.S. adult population has received at least one dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine; the U.S. expects to have enough vaccine supply for the entire population by early summer. The news received wide coverage from across the political spectrum. Left-rated outlets tended to highlight the COVID-19 situation in India; the Biden administration's delayed public statements on India faced some backlash from some voices on the left earlier in the week. Some outlets on the right tended to focus on the logistics of vaccine distribution.