A New York City New Crown Vaccination Facility
Secretary of State John Blinken announces the appointment of former USAID Administrator Gayle Smith as the State Department’s Global Coordinator for New Crown Outbreak Response and Health Security, in response to calls from countries seeking more U.S. vaccines against the New Crown virus. The move is also seen as Washington’s response to Beijing’s rapid expansion of vaccine diplomacy around the world.
Secretary of State Blinken announces April 5, 2021, the appointment of a global coordinator for New Crown (CCP) virus outbreak response and health security (AP)
In making the announcement Monday (April 5, 2021), Blinken began by defending the Biden administration’s focus thus far on vaccination and fighting the outbreak at home in the United States. He said, “We have to serve the American people first and foremost. Moreover, we cannot forget that the United States has the highest number of newly crowned cases in the world, and far more than any other country. Therefore, stopping the spread of the virus here is something that is urgently needed for our people, and for the entire world. Bringing the U.S. outbreak under control is an obligation we owe to other countries.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the U.S. has administered 147.6 million doses of the New Crown (CCA virus) vaccine and distributed 189.5 million doses, and expects to have 90 percent of adults eligible for the vaccine in the next few weeks.
But Blinken said that even if the entire U.S. population of 323 million could be vaccinated tomorrow, Americans would not be completely safe, and “the American people can only have lasting security if the New Crown (CCP virus) virus is stopped globally.”
He said it would be an unprecedented global operation involving logistics, funding, supply chain management, manufacturing and a whole process of coordinating with community health workers to get the vaccine to its destination, “all of which would require an intensive diplomatic effort to achieve.”
But Blinken insists the U.S. is not leading this global initiative to engage in vaccine diplomacy. He said, “Core values will guide us every step of the way. We will not provide vaccines in exchange for political gain. This is about saving lives.”
Blinken added, “We will hold the vaccines we provide to other countries to a high standard, and we will only distribute those vaccines that have been proven to be safe and effective.”
Small vials labeled with the New Coronavirus (CCP virus) vaccine in front of the Chinese flag
Chinese Communist Party Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently said that China has provided or is providing vaccine aid to more than 80 countries, while exporting vaccines to more than 40 countries and also cooperating with more than 10 countries on vaccine development and production. He said it is not engaging in vaccine diplomacy but showing the role of a great power.
However, many analysts say the Chinese Communist Party is using vaccines as leverage and enticement to expand its political influence at a time when the United States and other Western powers are focused on dealing with serious outbreaks in their own countries.
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