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US donates 750,000 coronavirus vaccines to Taiwan

The USA will donate 750,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine to Taiwan as part of the country’s plan to distribute vaccines worldwide, US Senator Tammy Duckworth said, giving a much-needed boost to the island’s fight against the pandemic.

THE Taiwan records an outbreak of domestic cases, and like other parts of the world is experiencing vaccine shortages. Only about 3% of the island’s 23.5 million inhabitants have been vaccinated, with most having received only one of the two necessary doses.

Speaking from Taipei’s Songshan Airport, arriving for a brief visit with fellow Senators Dan Sullivan and Christopher Koons, Duckworth said Taiwan would receive 750,000 doses of vaccine as part of the first tranche of US donations.

“It was crucial for the United States that Taiwan be included in the first group to receive vaccines because we recognize your urgency and appreciate this cooperation,” he told a news conference. He did not provide details on which vaccines Taiwan will receive or when they will be delivered.

The senators will meet with President Chai Ingwen to discuss security issues, among others.

Taiwan accuses China of obstructing its efforts to secure vaccines, a charge Beijing denies.

Japan donated 1.24 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Covid-19 to Taiwan on Friday, more than doubling the number of vaccines the island has received so far.

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