The U.S. will release 60 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from drugmaker AstraZeneca to other countries over the next several months, the White House announced Monday.
The vaccine, which has not been authorized for use in the U.S., will be released once it clears safety reviews by the Food and Drug Administration. That could happen in the "coming weeks," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a press briefing.
The White House did not specify which countries would receive the vaccine, but approximately 10 million doses are ready to ship once regulatory clearance has been granted, Psaki said. The remaining doses are expected to be distributed throughout May and June.
The AstraZeneca vaccine has been widely used across Europe and elsewhere around the world. But the company has not yet applied for emergency authorization in the United States. The vaccine is reported to be very effective at preventing transmission and hospitalization, but the company has faced questions from U.S. regulators about data from its trials.
In the absence of FDA authorization, the U.S. government has been sitting on a stockpile of millions of doses, with more on order.