Windhoek, Namibia – At an event hosted at the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation today, the U.S. Embassy announced the donation by the United States government of 124,000 doses of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s global efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.  The vaccines arrived on October 22 following the first consignment of 100,620 doses that arrived on September 24, 2021.  To date, the U.S. government has donated 224,620 doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine to Namibia.

The U.S. government is leading the global fight against COVID-19 and these vaccines are part of 200 million vaccine doses the United States has donated globally to date.  This milestone is a major step toward the Administration’s goal of delivering 1.1 billion vaccine doses worldwide.  Working together with COVAX, WHO, UNICEF, and partner countries, the United States is committed to donating the 1.1 billion vaccine doses to where they are needed most to end this global pandemic.

“This has been a very difficult year for the people of Namibia, but things are looking up. The arrival of these safe and effective vaccines is one of the factors that is helping to make things easier and to help life get back to normal again,” said the U.S. Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires, Jess Long at the handover ceremony hosted by MIRCO.

The timing of the arrival of the vaccines coincides with the launch of the national activation campaign and roadshows to encourage the public to get vaccinated.

“Please take the opportunity to protect yourself and to do your part to protect your family, your country, and your economy by getting vaccinated,” concluded Chargé d’Affaires Long.

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Handing over 124,000 doses of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine donated by the United States government (from left): U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires, Jess Long, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Hon. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and the Minister of Health and Social Services, Hon. Dr. Kalumbi Shangula.
Handing over 124,000 doses of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine donated by the United States government (from left): U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires, Jess Long, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Hon. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and the Minister of Health and Social Services, Hon. Dr. Kalumbi Shangula.