Today, the United States delivered the second of two shipments this week totaling nearly 1.6 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to the Government of Morocco through COVAX, a global initiative aimed at ensuring equitable vaccine distribution.
This follows on a recent U.S. delivery of seven specially outfitted freezers to Morocco that increased the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 vaccine storage capacity. These freezers, provided by USAID in coordination with the World Health Organization and UNICEF, are capable of storing more than 2 million vaccine doses – accounting for 45 percent of Morocco’s ultra-cold chain storage.
“The United States is committed to leading the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming an arsenal of vaccines for the world and working closely with key allies like Morocco, so we can rebuild and emerge even stronger,” U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires David Greene said. “For every shot we have administered in the United States to date, the American people are now donating three shots to other countries. To save lives around the world, rebuild the global economy, and stop the threat of new variants, we must vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.”
Chargé Greene was present for the delivery of the vaccine doses at Morocco’s main vaccine storage facility in Casablanca, alongside Ministry of Health officials.
Today’s donation of Pfizer doses follows an October delivery of more than 850,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and a July shipment of over 300,000 single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The U.S. government has invested nearly $20 million in Morocco’s COVID-19 pandemic response. U.S. officials have worked with the Ministry of Health and other partners to raise awareness about COVID-19 risks, train healthcare workers, study vaccine effectiveness, enhance Morocco’s vaccine cold chain, and provide hygiene and laboratory equipment and supplies.
The U.S. military has donated a $1.5 million field hospital that will help combat infectious disease outbreaks in Morocco and will soon donate a field Intensive Care Unit system and a mobile emergency room annex at a cost of $1.7 million.
The United States is the world’s largest donor to COVAX, a global initiative aimed at ensuring equitable vaccine distribution, having contributed $4 billion through USAID. To date, the U.S. government has provided over 290 million vaccine doses to over 100 countries in need and is making available over one billion Pfizer vaccine doses to 92 lower- and middle-income countries and economies, as well as the African Union.
