PRESS RELEASE
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U.S. Government Fulfills Its Promise To Deliver 9.8 Million Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccines For Mozambican Youth
November 16, 2022 – The U.S. Government fulfilled its promise to the Government and people of Mozambique by delivering an additional 4.9 million Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine doses this month. Together with the first shipment of 4.9 million doses, the total number of U.S. Government donated vaccines for adolescents is 9.8 million. The second delivery will allow the Mozambican Government to administer a second dose of COVID-19 vaccines to its target adolescent population. Through the strong partnership between the United States and Mozambique to combat COVID-19, Mozambique will become the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to fully vaccinate 94% of its adolescent population with both the first and second doses.
When the first COVID-19 vaccines for adults became available in late 2020, the U.S. Government committed to ensuring vaccines were available to all countries, including Mozambique. Since then, in collaboration with the Mozambique health sector, USAID has led the U.S. government’s efforts to vaccinate its population. Not only has the U.S. government donated more than 18 million vaccines to Mozambique, it has also invested in vaccine readiness and logistics to ensure Mozambicans in every district have access to those vaccines. Overall, the U.S. government, through USAID, has provided nearly $90 million to implement COVID-19 response efforts since the start of the pandemic.
A new two-week vaccination campaign was launched on November 14 to administer the adolescent second dose. “This campaign demonstrates the Mozambican government’s commitment to ensure the health of its young population,” said Ambassador Vrooman. “Together, the United States and Mozambique are protecting millions of adults and teens from a virus that has taken too many lives.”
The United States and Mozambique have enjoyed a close health partnership for nearly 20 years in the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria, polio, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases. This partnership helped Mozambique to respond quickly and effectively to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Support for improved vaccine and health services is a critical component of the broader U.S. Government assistance in Mozambique. Improvements in this sector contribute to better health and create an environment for diverse economic growth. In close collaboration with the Government of Mozambique, the U.S. Government provides more than $500 million in annual assistance to help Mozambicans build a healthier, more democratic, more secure, more prosperous county for all.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) leads the U.S. Government’s international development and disaster assistance through partnerships and investments that save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people emerge from humanitarian crises. For more information about USAIDs work, visit www.usaid.gov.
