Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON (Reuters), – Up to 110 Million COVID-19 vaccinations will be purchased by the African Union (AU). Moderna (NASDAQ:) Inc was involved in an arrangement that was in part mediated by the White House. The White House will delay delivery of certain doses meant for the United States in order to facilitate this deal, officials said to Reuters.

In the months ahead, the AU’s doses are due to be distributed. There will be 15 million arrivals before the year ends, 35 million next quarter, and 60 million the following quarter.

Strive Masiyiwa, AU coronavirus envoy, stated in an email that “this is important because it allows us to expand the number of vaccines readily available immediately.” “We call on other vaccine-producing countries to follow (the U.S. government’s) lead and provide us with similar access to this and other vaccines.”

Masiyiwa stated that the Moderna acquisition was the first time in 55 years the AU has purchased vaccines not produced entirely in Africa.

These new vaccine shipments are far below the amount Africa requires to vaccine its estimated 1.3 billion inhabitants. This is a result of Africa’s poorer access to life-saving vaccines. Moderna vaccines are an addition to the AU’s vaccine supply. They have different storage requirements.

To give Moderna its spot in line, Biden’s administration will defer delivery of 33,000,000 doses, which it bought from Moderna, Natalie Quillian, White House deputy coordinator, COVID-19 response, said.

Quillian stated, “We are thankful to have helped negotiate the encouraging step forward between Moderna et the African Union which will significantly increase access to vaccines across the continent in the short-term.”

The United States is full of vaccines, having seen COVID-19-related deaths in excess of 700,000 Americans. Quillian explained that delays in Moderna deliveries won’t have any impact on the availability of booster shots to Americans who are already inoculated.

Moderna announced that they were working towards making it possible for Africa to receive its COVID-19 vaccine by 2023. They also plan to establish a manufacturing facility on the continent.

“This is the first step in our long-term partnership with the African Union,” Moderna Chief Executive Stéphane Bancel said in a statement, referring to a Memorandum of Understanding to make up to 110 million doses for the AU.

The AU charged COVID-19’s vaccine producers with denying African countries a fair opportunity to purchase vaccines. It also urged India and other manufacturing countries to remove export restrictions for vaccines.