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Pfizer began exporting COVID-19 vaccines to Mexico last week that were made in its U.S. plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan, according to Reuters.
Last week’s shipment marks the first time that Pfizer has delivered doses abroad from U.S. facilities after a Trump administration restriction on dose exports expired at the end of March, the news outlet reported.
Pfizer has shipped more than 10 million doses to Mexico so far, including 2 million last week, and has become Mexico’s largest COVID-19 vaccine supplier. Until now, Pfizer and BioNTech have supplied other countries with doses from the main European production plant in Belgium.
Pfizer will continue to meet its commitment to supply vaccines to the U.S., Reuters reported, and will use extra capacity in its U.S. and Belgium facilities to deliver shots to other countries. The company expects to produce up to 2.5 billion doses in 2021 and has agreements to supply more than 1 billion to governments worldwide.
Pfizer also exported U.S.-made doses to Canada last week, according to Reuters, with 2 million doses expected each week in May and 2.4 million doses expected each week in June. Previous shipments came from the Belgium plant, the news outlet reported. The company has an agreement with Canada to deliver up to 76 million doses.
Earlier last week, the Biden administration announced that the U.S. would send up to 60 million doses of its unused AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to other countries in need. On Friday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said it was “probable” that the U.S. would soon send about 5 million doses to Mexico, according to Reuters.
Mexico has faced a delay in vaccine production at its own AstraZeneca plant, the news outlet reported, which was expected to play a key role in providing doses. Mexico has also received fewer Sputnik V doses from Russia than expected.
Sources
Reuters: “Exclusive: Pfizer begins exporting U.S.-made COVID-19 vaccine to Mexico.” “Pfizer to export U.S.-made COVID-19 shots to Canada starting next week.” “Mexico expects to receive 5 mln more AstraZeneca doses from U.S.”
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