Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
Libreville, Gabon
October 28, 2021
AS DELIVERED
Let me start today with an announcement that I’m very excited about. And that is that the United States is donating 101,790 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to Gabon today. In fact, it should be arriving at any time now, and I will be going out to the airport to receive it.
This is the product of a great deal of collaboration between the United States government, COVAX, and the African Union. We are providing these vaccines with no political strings attached. We only have one singular objective, and that is to save lives and stop this pandemic. And I know that these donations are in addition to the vaccines Gabon has already purchased itself for its citizens.
We know that COVID-19 has hit Gabon hard, and it’s hit it in waves. Right now, as I understand it, infection rates remain high. With the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s a simple truth: no one is safe until everyone is safe. That is why the United States is committed, in President Biden’s words, to being the world’s arsenal for vaccines.
In the coming weeks, we will be sharing even more vaccine doses with nearly every African country. Here in Gabon, this donation from the American people is in addition to the 100,620 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 168,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that we provided.
I want to make sure that the Gabonese people understand: Our vaccines have been used widely in the United States. They are the product of rigorous testing. And they will significantly reduce your chance of death and hospitalization from COVID-19.
As we’ve all learned, no country can defeat this pandemic by itself. We must work together. So, it was a pleasure to see President Bongo join President Biden’s COVID-19 Summit in September. We welcome continued Gabonese leadership as we collectively work to combat COVID-19 and to strengthen public health around the world.
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