TOKYO – Japan plans to give other countries 60 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Thursday, doubling the target from the previous pledge of 30 million doses.
“Today, I am pleased to announce that, with additional contributions, Japan will provide up to approximately 60 million doses of vaccine in total,” Suga said in a pre-recorded video message at the US-hosted Global COVID-19 Summit.
Of the first 30 million, Japan has already provided about 23 million doses mostly to Asian countries including Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Japan initially lagged behind other industrialized nations in its vaccination rollout, but now 55% of its population are fully vaccinated, roughly on a par with the United States.
Earlier this month, in a surprise announcement, Suga said that he was stepping down as prime minister, ending a one-year term that has seen his support crumble as COVID-19 cases surged.
In Washington, US Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday will call on countries and companies around the world to create a $10-billion global health fund to prepare for future pandemics, and announce a $250-million contribution from the United States to jump-start the effort, a White House official said.
Harris will make the announcement during a virtual COVID-19 summit being held on the margins of the UN General Assembly. It is aimed at boosting vaccinations worldwide with the goal of ending the COVID-19 pandemic by the end of 2022.
Harris will be chairing a session on preventing future pandemics, a senior administration official said.
Earlier on Wednesday, the United States promised to buy 500 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses to donate to other countries as it faces increasing pressure to share its supply with the rest of the world. — Reuters
