White House backs Pfizer’s move to begin vaccine exports

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is supporting Pfizer’s move to begin exporting U.S.-made doses of its coronavirus vaccine as the White House.

“We are glad to see that they are working with other countries to help them meet their supply needs,” Jeff Zients, President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 response coordinator, told Bloomberg News in a statement. He said the company is ahead of schedule in its commitments to supply the U.S.

The governments of Mexico and Canada said last week that they expected to begin receiving doses of Pfizer’s vaccine from the U.S., the first time the company’s American-made shots are known to have been delivered to any buyer other than the American government.

Vaccine shortages worldwide have spurred some countries and blocs to impose export restrictions, limiting the ability of manufacturers to send their product across borders in some cases.

Biden has said he plans to send millions of doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine abroad. The company has manufactured doses in the U.S. to fulfill a government contract, but the vaccine isn’t authorized for use in the U.S.