US will allow export of AstraZeneca vaccine to Canada, Mexico

By: Thomas I. Likness
EBC News Service

(Eagle News) — Canada and Mexico will received a combined four million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine produced in the United States.

“Our first priority remains vaccinating the US population but the reality is that the pandemic knows no  borders, and ensuring our neighbours can contain the virus is mission critical to ending the pandemic,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday. “We all want to be contributing members of the global community in getting the pandemic under control.”

Psaki says the US is still waiting for the Food and Drug Administration to approve the AstraZeneca vaccine to immunize Americans.

She says several countries, including Canada and Mexico, have requested doses of the inoculant from the US.

“Balancing the need to let the approval process play out of the AstraZeneca vaccine, as it is taking place in the U-S, with the importance of helping stop the spread in other countries, we are assessing how we can loan doses,” Psaki said.

She adds final details are being worked out to ship 1.5 million doses to Canada and 2.5 million doses to Mexico.

Pskai says the US has seven million “releasable does” that could be loaned out.

The shipments will be made as a loan to both countries which would have to be repaid in the future with doses of the AstraZeneca or other vaccines.
(Eagle News Service)