LUSAKA–The U.S. Embassy in Lusaka, Zambia is pleased to announce the arrival of an additional 151,200 doses of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine donated by the United States Government as part of its global efforts to fight the coronavirus. The United States has now donated over 300,000 doses of Johnson and Johnson to Zambia over the last week as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to share the U.S. vaccine supply with the world.
The vaccines were made available through the African Union COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility and are part of the U.S. pledge to provide at least 25 million of 80 million doses globally with Africa. The U.S. government coordinated closely with the African Union and Africa Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on the country allocations.
Speaking about the impact of this donation, USAID Mission Director Sheryl Stumbras encouraged all Zambians to get vaccinated, focusing on the rigorous testing the vaccine underwent and its strong safety record: “Getting vaccinated saves lives. That is why the United States has pledged $4 billion to COVAX to accelerate equitable global access to vaccines.
The United States is working to ensure countries are prepared to safely and effectively distribute these vaccines.”
Vaccines are an essential tool in reducing the impact of COVID-19. Of the people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine in Zambia, only about 40 percent of them are women.
The Government of the Republic of Zambia has released new guidelines this month that recommend vaccination for expectant and breastfeeding mothers, and the elderly. These are the same recommendations we give in the United States. Globally, pregnant women are more likely to get severely ill if they get COVID-19. The United States remains committed to supporting the Ministry of Health in sharing essential information on COVID-19 prevention and vaccine eligibility.
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