THIMPHU, BHUTAN, U.S. Embassy & Consulates in India -- The United States government has donated over 671 million COVID-19 vaccine doses as a part of its commitment to defeating the COVID-19 pandemic by getting shots into arms and saving lives around the world. On December 17, 2022, the U.S. government furthered this commitment through the delivery of an additional 50,000 doses of the Pfizer pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 to Bhutan, in partnership with COVAX and the Bhutan Foundation.
This delivery marks the second shipment of U.S.-donated vaccines for children in Bhutan this year, bringing the total number of pediatric vaccine donations to 83,600 to date, enough to fully vaccinate half of all Bhutanese children aged 5 to 11. In total, the U.S. government has provided 679,540 vaccine doses to Bhutan and is supporting the safe and effective distribution of these vaccines by providing healthcare worker training, strengthening vaccine delivery, and encouraging people to get vaccinated.
Announcing the arrival of the vaccine shipment, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Ambassador A. Elizabeth Jones said, “Expanding COVID-19 vaccination to children can present countries with opportunities to reach higher risk populations, increase community acceptance, and demonstrate the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for all Bhutanese citizens. The pediatric vaccine doses delivered today will protect the lives of children in Bhutan and help prevent further outbreaks.”
Since the beginning of this pandemic, the U.S. government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has partnered with Bhutan to build the nation’s resilience, strengthen its healthcare capacity, train healthcare workers, and promote pandemic preparedness and response, while also supporting microenterprises and entrepreneurs to overcome the economic impacts of the pandemic.