Abidjan, 25 November 2021 (TDI): The United States provided additional doses of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 Vaccine to Côte d’Ivoire, as announced by the US State Department yesterday.
Around 506,200 doses of the Covid-19 vaccines delivered by the U.S. government arrived in Abidjan. The vaccines were delivered through GAVI (the Vaccine Alliance) and the COVAX initiative.
This is not the United States’ first vaccine donation to Côte d’Ivoire. For instance, the US recently donated nearly 1,173,510 Pfizer doses to the country in two shipments. The first shipment arrived on November 8, 2021, and the second on November 10, respectively.
In partnership with #COVAX, the U.S. provided 506,200 additional doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to the people of Côte d’Ivoire. This latest delivery of free, safe, and effective vaccines further demonstrates our commitment to beating COVID-19 at home and abroad. pic.twitter.com/0jV4pADs0l
— Department of State (@StateDept) November 24, 2021
The COVAX Initiative
COVAX is a coalition between various countries to provide Covid-19 vaccines across the world, particularly to the middle and lower-income nations. The platform is to assist those states who cannot produce the Covid-19 vaccines on their own.
The World Health Organization (WHO), and Gavi (the Vaccine Alliance) are the institutions that coordinate the entire donation process. Washington serves as the largest global contributor in donating coronavirus vaccines.
U.S.-Côte d’Ivoire Relations
The diplomatic relations between the two states were established in 1960, after the independence of Côte d’Ivoire from France. The United States has since supported Cote d’Ivoire’s efforts in maintaining democracy, being transparent in the political and economic process, and creating an equitable society for the Ivoirian citizens.
The two sides maintain a cordial relationship through continuously engaging on bilateral and multilateral platforms. For instance, both interact in the sphere of international organizations, particularly the United Nations and its technical bodies, such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Trade Organization (WTO).
){kind=link}