For Immediate Release

Office of Press Relations
press@usaid.gov

Press Release

The following is attributable to USAID Spokesperson Rebecca Chalif:

On August 31, 2021, USAID Administrator Samantha Power met with Pfizer President of Global Supply Mike McDermott who gave her a virtual tour of the Pfizer’s vaccine manufacturing plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This facility is producing COVID-19 vaccines, helping fulfill the U.S. Government’s commitment to donate half a billion vaccines to the poorest countries around the world. 

Approximately 10 million doses have shipped in the past two weeks, including to Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, El Salvador, Honduras, Kosovo, Pakistan, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Togo, Ukraine, and Vietnam. These doses are in addition to 120 million vaccines donated by the U.S. Government to more than 60 countries. 

Administrator Power and Mr. McDermott discussed the quality and ingenuity of American manufacturing and how increasing global access to safe and effective vaccines will help end the pandemic both in the United States and around the world, saving lives, preventing the spread of dangerous variants, and paving the way for the rebuilding of the U.S. and global economies. Mr. McDermott highlighted Pfizer’s 24/7 operations to produce safe, effective, and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines for Americans and people around the world. The Administrator’s virtual tour of Pfizer’s Kalamazoo vaccine facility allowed her to see the production process and learn from employees about their roles in the production process. 

As Administrator Power shared, this historic vaccine distribution initiative, funded by USAID, will accelerate the global fight against COVID-19 and reinforce the United States’ ongoing efforts to get more shots in arms. USAID is also expanding equitable access to vaccines by setting up vaccination sites, providing training for health workers, funding vaccine information campaigns, and more. 

President Biden first announced that the U.S. would purchase and donate half a billion Pfizer vaccines to the world’s lowest-income nations at the G7 Summit on June 10, 2021.

#COVID19
Share This Page