U.S. to Send 500 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses to Countries Desperate for Shots

The United States plans to purchase 500 million doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine that it will then donate to countries in need around the world.

The first 200 million doses will be sent out this year, with 300 million more shared in the first half of next year, three people familiar with the plan told The Washington Post on Wednesday.

COVAX, the World Health Organization-backed initiative to share COVID-19 doses across the globe, will distribute the doses to low- and middle-income countries. Pfizer is selling the doses to the United States at a "not-for-profit" price, sources told The Post on the condition of anonymity so they could share details that are not yet public.

Biden plans to announce the massive effort on Thursday at the start of the Group of Seven (G-7) meeting in Britain, The Post reported.