COVAX alliance, reported Daily Mirror. The US has committed a total of 8.4 million vaccines to the island nation through the COVAX.

COVAX is a platform to provide equitable global access and distribution of safe, effective, and high-quality WHO-authorized vaccines.

The US had already donated $2 billion to COVAX and will provide the same amount again, according to a statement issued by the Us embassy in Colombo. The COVAX has committed to providing 8.4 million vaccine vials to Sri Lanka, covering 20 percent of Sri Lanka’s population.

“Our support represents nearly 40% of all commitments to the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC),” the US embassy said. 

Earlier in March this year, Sri Lanka had received its first delivery of 264,000 doses of vaccines from the COVAX. It is slated to receive 1,440,000 more vials by the end of May, with the remainder of the consignment to reach by the second half of 2021.

The US Congress recently provided more than US$11 billion for America’s response to the global COVID pandemic and to be used to save lives by supporting broad and equitable vaccine access; providing aid to mitigate secondary impacts of COVID, like hunger.