First contingent of vaccines from America comes to Kosovo this week

United States is sending an anti-vaccinal container to Kosovo this week COVID-19, a White House official told Voice of America.

He said vaccines are sent through COVAX programme and are part of the United States' commitment to play a leading role in the struggle to end pandemics worldwide.

The doses for Kosovo are part of a half-billionth purchase of Pfizer vaccine provided by President Joe Biden earlier this summer.

The official said the scientific teams and legal authorities of both countries have worked together to ensure the rapid and effective distribution of vaccines in Kosovo.

We are proud to be able to deliver these safe and effective vaccines to the people of Kosovo. We're sharing these doses not to secure favors or to make concessions. Our vaccines don't come back. We are doing this with the sole aim of saving life”, he said.

The United States, the White House official said, is leading the world into a global vaccine strategy “because it's the right thing to do. It's the right thing morally, the right thing from a global public health perspective, and the right to our collective security and well-being”.

The Beden-Haris administration, he said, is clear that to end this pandemic requires the elimination of it worldwide.

In addition to $2 billion donated to the COVAX programme, the US government has purchased 500 million Pfizer vaccines - B NTech to distribute them throughout the year to the African Union and 92 low-income countries. This represents the largest purchase and donation of vaccines from a single country and a commitment by the American people to help protect people worldwide from COVID-19.

The announcement of sending vaccines to Kosovo occurs at a time when the country is facing a situation heavy with COVID-19 pandemic.

According to data processed by the Voice of America, only 18 days of the month of August were recorded 12,000 and 276 new cases of affected by COVID-19, featuring a much higher number than the previous three months combined.

Only on Wednesday did authorities in Kosovo confirm 2,000 and 110 new cases affected by COVID-19.

Since the beginning of the vaccine in Kosovo, 622 thousand doses have been given, while 215 thousand citizens have been vaccinated with the second dose. / VOA