U.S. marks 200 million COVID-19 shots shared with world

US Vaccination Rate Increases After , FDA Grants Pfizer Vaccine Full Approval.In addition to approval of the Pfizer vaccine granted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), .the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory panel unanimously endorsed the COVID-19 vaccine on Aug. 30.We now have a fully-approved COVID-19 vaccine and ACIP has added its recommendation. , Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC Director, via ABC News.If you have been waiting for this approval before getting the vaccine, now is the time to get vaccinated and join the more than 173 million Americans who are already fully vaccinated, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC Director, via ABC News.Polling indicates that nearly a third of Americans who have not been vaccinated... .... were waiting for FDA approval before they chose to receive the vaccine.Data analysis indicates an increase in U.S. vaccinations since the FDA approval and CDC endorsement.Prior to FDA approval the average number of Americans receiving the vaccine was 404,000 per day.Following FDA approval, nearly 473,000 Americans were receiving the vaccine daily.The number equates to a 17 percent increase in first-dose vaccinations.As expected, full approval was enough to convince at least some to finally get immunized, Dr. John Brownstein, Boston Children's Hospital, via ABC News.While surveys initially had estimated a far greater segment of the population who pegged full approval as their reason for holding off, .., Dr. John Brownstein, Boston Children's Hospital, via ABC News.... we have yet to see a large wave of newly convinced people to roll up their sleeves, Dr. John Brownstein, Boston Children's Hospital, via ABC News.Whether or not the increase in vaccinations will continue is uncertain

WASHINGTON — The U.S. on Thursday donated its 200 millionth COVID-19 shot to help vaccinate the rest of the world, the White House announced. The Biden administration aims to lead a global vaccination campaign even as it rolls out boosters for domestic use, which critics say diverts doses from those who are in greater need around the world.

The donated doses include more than 120 million in surplus from the U.S. stockpile of shots, as well as the initial deliveries of the 1 billion doses the Biden administration has purchased from Pfizer for overseas donation by September 2022. More than 100 countries and territories have received the American doses, and the U.S. remains the largest vaccine donor in the world.

“These 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have helped bring health and hope to millions of people, but our work is far from over,” Samantha Power, U.S. Agency for International Development administrator, said in a statement. “To end the pandemic, and prevent the emergence of new variants, as well as future outbreaks within our nation’s borders, we must continue to do our part to help vaccinate the world.”

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While aid groups have praised the U.S. for leading the world in vaccine donations, they have criticized the U.S. for approving booster doses for use in the country while many people in lower-income nations have no protection. The Food and Drug Administration approved booster doses of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines Wednesday, following last month’s authorization of a third dose of the Pfizer shot.

“The reality is, the more wealthy countries use booster shots, the further we will be from ending the pandemic," said Tom Hart, acting CEO of the One Campaign. “While some argue that we can both administer boosters and vaccinate the world, the simple fact is that boosters divert supply from an urgent area of need — administering first shots around the world.”

While half the planet has been vaccinated, there are massive geographic and wealth disparities. Most global shots have been administered in high- and moderate-income countries.