The U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu is proud to announce the U.S. government’s donation of 302,400 doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to Somalia as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s global efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The donated vaccine is part of the U.S. pledge to initially provide at least 25 million of 80 million doses globally to Africa. The U.S. government coordinated closely with the African Union and Africa CDC on the country allocations. The vaccine doses arrived in Mogadishu via COVAX on August 12, 2021, and were delivered to the Ministry of Health. Somali public health officials will provide information on their usage.
“This donation will help protect the Somali people from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Colleen Crenwelge, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. “The United States is proud to be the largest single donor to the COVAX global initiative on COVID-19.”
These doses are part of the United States’ commitment to share U.S. vaccine supply with the world. As we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic at home and work to end the pandemic worldwide, President Biden has promised that the United States will be an arsenal of vaccines for the world.
As President Biden said, “From the beginning of my presidency, we have been clear-eyed that we need to attack this virus globally as well. This is about our responsibility – our humanitarian obligation to save as many lives as we can – and our responsibility to our values. We’re going to help lead the world out of this pandemic, working alongside our global partners.”
###