US donation of 1.4mn COVID-19 vaccine doses arrives in Afghanistan

A US donation of more than 1.4 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Afghanistan on Friday, the first of two shipments this month, the UN children's agency UNICEF said in a statement.

A second shipment of vaccines donated by the United States through the COVAX global sharing program will bring the total to 3.3 million doses, UNICEF said. The US vaccine donations come as US military forces withdraw from Afghanistan, ending a 20-year war in the country.

US pullout from Afghanistan over 90% complete: Pentagon

The deliveries are part of President Joe Biden's pledge to share 80 million vaccine doses globally, most through COVAX, which is run by the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

"These vaccines arrive at a critical time for Afghanistan as the country faces a difficult surge in COVID-19 infections," said UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, Hervé Ludovic De Lys.

Three Pakistanis returning from Afghanistan contract Covid-19

Over 1,200 new infections were reported in Afghanistan on July 8th down from a record peak of 1,853 new cases on June 21st, according to the Reuters COVID-19 tracker. Less than four percent of the Afghan population is vaccinated, UNICEF said.

Servicemen who fled Taliban to Tajikistan being brought back to fight: Afghan govt

"As many countries face vaccine supply challenges, the dose-sharing mechanism is a rapid way to close the immediate supply gap," De Lys said. "I hope that other governments will step up and share their doses, supplies and therapeutics to protect those most in need."