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May 18: Three Dollars a Dose – Biden Must Ramp Up Vaccine Manufacturing

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna and Public Citizen Experts React to U.S. Trade Rep Announcement, Call for More Action from Biden Administration

**REGISTER HERE**

WHAT: As advocates and opinion leaders increasingly call for urgent leadership to vaccinate the globe and halt the coronavirus pandemic, U.S.-based advocacy organization Public Citizen is hosting a press briefing with U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) as part of its Global Newsmakers in the Age of COVID series.

Rep. Khanna and experts from Public Citizen will discuss the U.S. Trade Representative’s recent announcement of support for an emergency waiver on COVID-19 vaccine patents and the next steps the Biden administration must take now to expand global vaccine manufacturing.

Low- and middle-income countries will need 8 billion doses to achieve 80% herd immunity through vaccination. COVAX has also disclosed that 93% of countries have requested more doses than it can provide in 2021. So far, it has delivered less than 60 million doses, enough to vaccinate fewer than 30 million people.

Public Citizen is urging the U.S. government to commit $25 billion – three dollars a dose – to ensure all 8 billion doses are produced within one year.

WHO: U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) in conversation with Peter Maybarduk, Director of the Access to Medicines program; press Q&A to follow.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 18, 10 a.m. ET, 14:00 UTC

WHERE: The event will be livestreamed. Register here.