US to join global coronavirus vaccine programme

Geneva: Dr Anthony Fauci says US President Joe Biden on Thursday will order the United States to support projects to deploy COVID-19 vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics to people in need around the world. Fauci also says the United States will cease reducing US staff counts at the World Health Organisation and will pay its financial obligations to it.

Fauci, Biden's top medical adviser on the pandemic, told the WHO's executive board that the president will issue a directive on Thursday that shows the United States' intent to join the COVAX Facility, a project to deploy COVID-19 vaccines to people in need around the world - whether in rich or poor countries.

Fauci also said the United States would support the "ACT Accelerator" - an umbrella effort including COVAX that also focuses on distributing diagnostic tools and therapeutics for the coronavirus to countries around the world.