US to send additional vaccine doses to Mexico

 The United States will send additional COVID-19 vaccine doses to Mexico, the White House said Monday, after the Mexican government said it would ask for millions more shots to combat a surge in cases.

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by phone with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The two leaders discussed the flow of migrants coming across the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as the pandemic, according to a readout of the call.

"President López Obrador thanked the United States for assistance in combating the COVID-19 epidemic, including over 4 million vaccines that have already been delivered. Vice President Harris was pleased to share the U.S. government is committed to sending additional doses of vaccine to Mexico," the White House said.

The White House did not specify how many doses it would send, but Bloomberg reported the U.S. would be shipping Moderna and AstraZeneca shots to Mexico. Moderna has yet to be approved for use in Mexico, but officials expect that to change soon, Bloomberg reported.

Mexico has had nearly 250,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, one of the highest totals in the world. The nation is grappling with another surge in cases as it struggles to get its population vaccinated.

The U.S. had previously donated roughly 4 million vaccine doses to Mexico, including Johnson&Johnson and AstraZeneca shots.

In addition to the pandemic, Harris raised the issue of immigration during the call, the White House said, calling the border situation a "top priority" for the Biden administration.

https://thehill.com/policy/international/567075-us-to-send-additional-vaccine-doses-to-mexico