Vietnam among beneficiaries of US vaccine donation

President Joe Biden had pledged to allocate 80 million doses by the end of June.

Of the 55 million doses, around 41 million will be shared through the global vaccine access mechanism Covax, the White House announced.

Some 16 million of them will go to Asia, including Vietnam, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives, Bhutan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, Cambodia, and the Pacific Islands.

More than 14 million will go to Latin America and the Caribbean, and the remaining 10 million to Africa.

The 14 million non-Covax doses are meant for "regional priorities and other recipients." They include Colombia, Argentina, Haiti, other Caribbean Community countries, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Cape Verde, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Tunisia, Oman, West Bank and Gaza, Ukraine, Kosovo, Georgia, Moldova, Bosnia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

The vaccines and numbers will be determined as the administration works through the logistical, regulatory and other parameters particular to each region and country, the White House statement said.

"Our goals are to increase global Covid-19 vaccination coverage, prepare for surges and prioritize healthcare workers and other vulnerable populations based on public health data and acknowledged best practice, and help our neighbors and other countries in need.

"And, as we have previously stated, the United States will not use its vaccines to secure favors from other countries."

Of the 80 million doses, the U.S. announced the plans for 25 million earlier this month and has started shipping them.

Vietnam has been using the AstraZeneca vaccine for its vaccination program.

It has approved four vaccines so far: the U.K.'s AstraZeneca, Russia's Generium, China's Sinopharm, and the vaccine developed by the U.S.’s Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech Inc.