Historical context: This article concerns a United States COVID-19 vaccine-sharing announcement from June 2021. It does not describe current vaccination or travel policy.

United States announced international vaccine sharing

In June 2021, the White House announced how the United States would begin distributing millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses internationally as countries continued responding to the pandemic.

The administration said that approximately 75% of the doses being shared through the initial framework would be distributed through COVAX, the international vaccine-access initiative. The remaining portion could be directed to countries experiencing urgent needs and to other partners.

Initial allocation

The White House described an initial plan for sharing 25 million doses, including allocations intended for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, South and Southeast Asia, and Africa.

The announcement formed part of a broader US commitment at the time to share tens of millions of vaccine doses internationally.

Purpose of the programme

President Joe Biden said the United States was sharing vaccines to help save lives and support the international response to COVID-19 rather than seeking political concessions in exchange.

Vaccine supply, eligibility, recommended doses and COVID-19 policies changed considerably after 2021. Readers seeking current vaccination guidance should rely on present-day public-health recommendations rather than this historical report.