The US plans to send about four million doses of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine that it is not using to Mexico and Canada in loan deals with the two countries, an official told Reuters on Thursday.
Mexico will receive 2.5 million doses of the vaccine and Canada is to receive 1.5 million doses, the official said.
"We're lending a portion of our releasable doses of AstraZeneca vaccine," the official told Reuters. "We only put the virus behind us if we're helping our global partners."
The Biden administration is under pressure from allies worldwide to share vaccines, particularly from AstraZeneca, which is authorised for use in other countries but not yet in the US.
AstraZeneca has millions of doses made in a US facility and has said that it would have 30 million doses ready at the beginning of April. The company's shares rose slightly on the news.
The deal to share the vaccines, which is still being finalised, does not affect President Joe Biden's plans to have vaccine available for all adults in the US by the end of May, the official said. It does not reduce the supply of available vaccine in the US.
The deal is likely to be announced publicly in the coming days.
Two officials said the vaccine would be delivered in "short order" once the deal was completed, but they declined to give a more specific timetable.
The releasable vaccines are ready to be used once they arrive. Under the deal, the US will share doses with Mexico and Canada with the understanding that they will pay the US back with doses in return. The official said that would take place later this year.
The US had no plans to share the vaccine with other countries at this time, he said.
"They are our neighbours, they are our partners," the official said about Mexico and Canada.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had requested the vaccine previously, and the official said the countries were in touch about the vaccine loan.
"We've been working through the diplomatic channels," he said.
Mr Biden said if the US has a surplus of vaccine, it will share it with the rest of the world. The White House has focused on vaccinating people in the US, where more than 530,000 people have died from the virus.
The country is preparing to distribute the AstraZeneca vaccine domestically if it receives authorisation from the US Food and Drug Administration, the official said.
The official noted that the US has pledged $4 billion to the Covax vaccine facility that aims to deliver coronavirus vaccines to poor countries.
The US does not need the AstraZeneca shots to meet its target of having enough doses for all US adults by the end of May.
The three authorised vaccine makers – Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson – promised to deliver about 500 million doses to the US by then.
Reports of blood disorders prompted more than a dozen nations to suspend its use, but on Thursday the EU's drug watchdog, the European Medicines Agency, said that after an investigation, it is still convinced the benefits of AstraZeneca's vaccine outweigh the risks.
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
You Were Never Really Here
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Starring: Joaquim Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov
Four stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Company%20profile
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203S%20Money%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20London%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Zhiznevsky%2C%20Eugene%20Dugaev%20and%20Andrei%20Dikouchine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%245.6%20million%20raised%20in%20total%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
