VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

United States has donated some 35.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Indonesia and 500 million doses of vaccine globally as of March 17, 2022.

With an additional 3.5 million doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine arriving in Jakarta on Sunday (April 3), the United States has donated 35.8 million doses of  COVID vaccine to Indonesia and over a half billion vaccines to more than 110 countries in every region of the world, the US Embassy in Jakarta said in a statement here on Sunday.

According to the Embassy statement, for every vaccine administered in the United States, nearly one more has been shipped overseas. Such an effort has been carried out in nine months towards reaching President Joe Biden’s pledge to donate more than 1.2 billion safe and effective vaccines worldwide.

"Vaccines are one of the best tools to control this pandemic. With vaccines, we help protect each other from infection and engage again fully for a healthier and more productive world," US Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director in Indonesia Jeff Cohen said.

"The United States remains committed in solidarity and partnership with the Indonesian people and our many partners. Together, we will defeat COVID-19," he stated.

With a commitment of US$4 billion, the United States is so far the largest donor to COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX). In partnership with UNICEF, COVAX has delivered over a billion vaccine doses to countries around the world, including over 100 million doses for Indonesia.

In addition, the United States supports vaccination sites in Indonesia, including mobile clinics for the elderly and disabled just outside their homes.

The US government through USAID also has been training health workers and supporting vaccine distribution in remote areas in Indonesia so that people in all provinces have access to COVID vaccines.

Since the onset of the pandemic, the US government has provided more than US$77 million to support Indonesia’s COVID-19 response, the US Embassy stated.

Moreover, USAID has directly supported more than 10,000 vaccination events in Indonesia. (antaranews)