Stop stockpiling and share doses, nations tell U.S.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s administration is stockpiling tens of millions of doses of a COVID-19 vaccine whose authorization in the U.S. remains uncertain, frustrating U.S. allies who say those doses should be used now to save lives overseas.

The standoff is part of a growing global debate over who should have access to hundreds of millions of doses of vaccine that pharmaceutical companies are churning out in the U.S.

Besides generating ill will, Biden’s insistence on an excess supply for America is potentially creating new openings for geopolitical rivals Russia and China.

A two-dose vaccine from Astrazeneca has received emergency clearance from the European Union and World Health Organization but not from the U.S.

Now America’s partners are prodding Biden to release his supply, noting that the administration has lined up enough doses of three already-authorized vaccines to cover every American adult by the end of May and the entire U.S. population by the end of July.

Astrazeneca says that the U.s.-produced vaccines are

“owned” by the U.S. government and that sending them overseas would require White House approval.

Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have directed representatives to discuss supply chains in the vaccine production.

Well over 10 million doses of Astrazeneca’s vaccine are stockpiled in the U.S. for use here.

“We want to be oversupplied and overprepared,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday, so Americans can still be swiftly vaccinated in the event of unforeseen issues with the existing production timeline. “We have not provided doses from the U.S. government to anyone.”

Asked about the stockpiled vaccine, White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said, “We have a small inventory of Astrazeneca so, if approved, we can get that inventory out to the American people as quickly as possible.”