US prepares to give vaccine aid to Mexico: Foreign Minister

After long-pending deliberations between US President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the US has agreed to provide the American neighbor with COVID-19 vaccines, according to a statement released by Mexico’s Foreign Minister on Thursday. 

Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico’s foreign secretary tweeted, “I’ve been asked if it is true that there is a vaccine agreement with the United States following the conversation between Presidents Lopez Obrador and Biden. Yes, the information is correct,” and added that further information would be released this week as the countries are “still working on it”, reported AFP.

Mexico continues to be the third most impacted country in the world in terms of COVID-19 related deaths with the toll reaching 196,000 in a country of 126 million residents. 

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President Obrador has previously criticised the notion of vaccine monopoly as and called the disproportionate access “totally unfair”. Moreover, he has also traced out the unequal access by highlighting that Mexico is forced to import jabs from Europe even though a strong and consistent supply was available in the US, reported AFP.

The issue was most likely discussed in a virtual summit organised for engaging the two Presidential counterparts of US and Mexico in conversation on March 1, where immigration policies were also discussed. 

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The COVID-19 vaccination drive commenced on December 24 in Mexico, which is now running dry on doses due to a shortage in supply. 

On the other hand, United States is currently using three COVID-19 jabs from Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.