US rejects plans to donate expiring unused COVID-19 vaccines to Africa

The White House Vaccine Task Force has rejected the proposal to donate unused doses of surplus Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine doses in the United States which will soon expire to other countries, particularly Africa. 

The Washington Post reported that health authorities and hospitals in Southern California’s demand for COVID-19 vaccines decline while the expiration dates of the unused doses are nearing.

The report says a small group around San Diego put forward a plan to donate thousands of shots to Mexico, where the vaccination campaign was carried out quite slowly with a high infection rate.

However, the White House task force has blocked such plans and similar efforts by local and state governments to donate leftover vaccines to other countries.

A white house official said vaccines in the United States are the property of the federal government, not the cities or states in which they are distributed.

“That means the federal government is liable for their use and donation efforts.”(Xinhua/NAN)