Remarks on the Global COVID-19 Response and Vaccination Efforts in St. Ives, United Kingdom

Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2021

Remarks on the Global COVID–19 Response and Vaccination Efforts in St. Ives,
United Kingdom
June 10, 2021

    The President. Good evening, everyone.
     First, I want to express our condolences on behalf of Jill and I to Her Majesty, Queen
Elizabeth II, the entire royal family, and the people of the United Kingdom. Today would have
been Prince Philip's 100th birthday, and I know there are a lot of people feeling his absence
today.
     In addition, I'd like to point out that the greet from the British Government has been
exemplary. We've had a good first full day here in the U.K. Prime Minister Johnson and I had a
very productive meeting. We discharged and discussed a broad range of issues on which the
United Kingdom and the United States are working in very close cooperation.
     We affirmed the special relationship—and it's not said lightly—the special relationship
between our people, and we renewed our commitment to defending the enduring democratic
values that both our nations share——
    [At this point, the President cleared his throat.]
    ——that are the strong—excuse me—the strong foundation of our partnership.
     Eighty years ago, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin Roosevelt
signed an agreement known as the Atlantic Charter. It was a statement of first principles, a
promise that the United Kingdom and the United States would meet the challenges of their age
and they would meet it together.
     Today we built on that commitment with a revitalized Atlantic Charter updated to reaffirm
that promise while speaking directly to the key challenges of this century: cybersecurity,
emerging technologies, global health, and climate change.
      We discussed our common goals for driving ambitious global action to address the climate
crisis. The Climate Leaders' Summit that I hosted in April was, in part, about helping drive
forward the momentum toward the critical COP 26 that the U.K. will host in Glasgow later this
year.
      We talked about the shared sacrifices our servicemembers have made, bravely serving side
by side in Afghanistan for close to 20 years. The U.K. was with us from the start, as they always
are, equally committed to rooting out the terrorist threat, and now we're coordinating our
withdrawal together.
     And of course, we talked about how our two nations can, together, lead the global fight
against COVID–19. That's been a major focus of the G–7 under British leadership, particularly in
focusing and coordinating our resources to help vaccinate the world.
     And tonight I'm making a historic announcement regarding America's leadership in the fight
against COVID–19. America knows firsthand the tragedies of this pandemic. We've had more
people die in the United States than anywhere in the world, nearly 600,000 of our fellow
Americans: moms, dads, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, grandparents. More deaths from
COVID–19 in the United States than from World War I, World War II, the Vietnam war, and
9/11 combined—combined. We know the tragedy.

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But we also know the path to recovery. The United States has now vaccinated 64 percent of
our adults with at least one shot. Just 4½ months ago, we were at only 5 percent with one shot. It
took a herculean effort on the part of our Government to manage one of the biggest and, I would
say, most complicated logistical challenges in our history. It took the ingenuity of scientists,
building on decades of research, to develop a vaccine. It took the full capacity of American
companies manufacturing and delivering the vaccines around the clock.
    And as a result, we have the lowest number of daily deaths since the first day of this
pandemic. Our economy is rebounding. Our vaccination program has already saved tens of
thousands of lives, with that count growing each day. And it has allowed millions—millions—of
Americans to get back to living their lives.
     From the beginning of my Presidency, we have been clear-eyed that we need to attack this
virus globally as well. This is about our responsibility—our humanitarian obligation to save as
many lives as we can—and our responsibility to our values. We value the inherent dignity of all
people. In times of trouble, Americans reach out to offer help, to offer a helping hand. That's who
we are.
     And when we see people hurting and suffering anywhere around the world, we seek to help
as best we can. That's why, under both Republican and Democratic Presidents, the United States
has made transformative commitments to bolster global health, commitments under President
Bush, like PEPFAR, which changed the global fight against HIV/AIDS. And in this moment, our
values call on us to do everything that we can to vaccinate the world against COVID–19.
    It's also in America's self-interest. As long as the virus rages elsewhere, there is a risk of new
mutations that could threaten our people. We know that raging COVID–19 in other countries
holds back global growth, raises instability, and weakens governments. And as we've seen in the
United States, with the evidence clearer day by the day, the key to reopening and growing
economies is to vaccinate your people.
     Our vaccination program has helped the American economy begin to recover from the worst
economic crisis in a century: over 2 million new jobs created just in the last 4 months since I've
become President; an historic decline in long-term unemployment; businesses reopening and a
projected economic growth of nine-point—excuse me, 6.9 percent, the fastest in nearly four
decades in America.
     Just as the American economy is recovering, it is in all of our interests to have the global
economy begin to recover as well. And that won't happen unless we can get this pandemic under
control worldwide. That's why, as I said in my address to the joint session of Congress in April,
America will be the arsenal of vaccines in our fight against COVID–19, just as America was the
arsenal of democracy during World War II.
     Over the past 4 months, we have taken a number of steps toward this historic effort. We have
contributed more than any nation to COVAX, a collective global effort that is delivering
COVID–19 vaccines across the world. We have supported manufacturing efforts abroad through
our partnerships with Japan, India, and Australia, known as the Quad. We've shared doses with
our neighbors Canada and Mexico.
     And in addition, 3 weeks ago, with America's vaccines—America's vaccine supply secured
and with confidence we have enough vaccines to cover every American who wants one, we
announced that we would donate 80 million doses of our own vaccine—in house now—to supply
the world by the end of June. Many of these doses are shipping to countries around the world as
we speak.

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And today we're taking a major step that will supercharge the global fight against this
pandemic. At my direction, the United States will purchase an additional half billion doses from
Pfizer—the Pfizer vaccine—that we'll donate nearly 100 low- and lower-middle-income
countries. They will be the beneficiaries.
     Let me say that again: The United States will purchase a half a billion doses of Pfizer
COVID–19 vaccine to donate to nearly 100 nations that are in dire need in the fight against this
pandemic. That's a historic step, the largest single purchase and donation of COVID–19 vaccines
by any single country ever.
   Importantly, this is an mRNA vaccine, which is proven to be extremely effective against
COVID–19 and every known variant of that virus thus far.
     These half a billion vaccines will start to be shipped in August as quickly as they roll off the
manufacturing line. Two hundred million of these doses will be delivered this year, 2021, and 300
million more will be delivered in the first half of 2022.
     Let me be clear: Just as with the 80 million doses we previously announced, the United
States is providing these half-million [billion] * doses with no strings attached. Let me say it
again: with no strings attached. Our vaccine donations don't include pressure for favors or
potential concessions. We're doing this to save lives, to end this pandemic. That's it. Period.
      I also want thank Albert Bourla, Pfizer's CEO and chairman, for joining me today. We've
gotten to know each other over the last few months. He and I and his entire team have really—
he's really stepped up at this critical stage in our fight against the pandemic.
      And the plan is for a half a billion doses that we'll be sending around the world to be
produced in the United States, including at Pfizer's manufacturing plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Eighty years ago, not too far from that plant in Kalamazoo, in the Detroit area, American workers
built tanks and planes and vehicles that helped defeat the global threat of fascism in World War
II. They built what became known as the "arsenal of democracy."
     Now, a new generation of American men and women, working with the day's—working
with today's latest technology, is going to build a new arsenal to defeat the current enemy of
world peace, health, and stability: COVID–19. Albert was gracious enough to welcome me to
Kalamazoo plant back in February. It's incredible the ingenuity, the care, the safety that goes into
every single dose as I toured the entire plant.
     Most of all, when you're there, you feel the pride that every worker there feels, how—the
pride they feel in what they are doing. I've been to a lot of plants. I have worked—I'm a big union
guy. I've been doing it my whole career. But you could see the looks on their faces; they were
proud. I mean it sincerely, they were proud of what they were doing. They knew what they were
doing.
    American workers will now produce vaccines to save lives of people in Africa, Asia, Latin
America, and the Caribbean: people they will never meet and have never met, places they've
never visited and probably won't have an opportunity to, but lives saved all the same thanks to
American leadership and American workers' hard work and values.
     Let me close with this: This is a monumental commitment by the American people. As I
said, we're a nation full of people who step up at times of need to help our fellow human beings,
both at home and abroad. We're not perfect, but we step up.
     But we're not alone in this endeavor, that's the point I want to make. We're going to help lead
the world out of this pandemic, working alongside our global partners. Under the U.K.

*
    White House correction.

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chairmanship of the G–7, democracies of the world are posed to deliver as well. This U.S.
contribution is the foundation for additional coordinated efforts to help vaccine the world—
vaccinate the world. The British Government, the Prime Minister, has led a strong campaign to
get people vaccinated across the U.K., and I'm grateful they're making their own generous
donation.
     Tomorrow the G–7 nations will be announcing the full scope of our commitment, "our"
meaning the G–7. And I want to thank all of my G–7 partners for stepping up to recognize our
responsibility to meet the moment. I'm looking forward to working with my counterparts on these
efforts in the coming days and much more.
     One final point I want to make clear: This is not the end of our efforts to fight COVID–19 or
vaccinate the world. We have to turn manufacturing—we have to turn manufactured doses into
shots in arms to protect people and communities.
     That's why the United States is already providing hundreds of millions in funding to support
last-minute vaccination efforts, including new funding from Congress as part of the American
Rescue Plan and working with programs in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. We're going to keep
manufacturing doses, donating doses, getting "jabs"—as they say here in the U.K.—in arms, until
the world has beaten this virus.
     I want to thank you all. Now, I'd like to turn it over to my friend, the CEO and chairman of
Pfizer, Albert Bourla. Albert, it's all yours. And, again, personally, thank you for stepping up.
     Pfizer Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla. Thank you, Mr. President.
     The President. Thank you.
     Mr. Bourla. Thank you very much.
     Thank you, Mr. President. And it is, of course, a great honor to be with you today for this
historic announcement.
     As the G–7 countries come together for this critical summit, the eyes of the world are on the
leaders of these powerful nations to help solve the ongoing COVID–19 crisis. While great
progress has been made in many developed nations, the world is now asking the G–7 leaders to
shoulder the responsibility to help vaccinate people in all countries.
      Mr. President, I know from our conversations that we agree that every man, woman, and
child on the planet, regardless of financial condition, race, religion, or geography deserve access
to lifesaving COVID–19 vaccines. And once again, the United States has answered the call, and
we are grateful to you and your administration for your leadership in this front.
    Today we are providing 500 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to the world's
poorest nations. This will significantly enhance our ability to meet our goal of providing 2 billion
doses of the vaccine to low- and middle-income countries over the next 18 months.
     Thanks to the ingenuity of so many scientists and the dedication of so many manufacturing
workers, today we can see clearly the light at the end of the tunnel. But we still have work to do.
And I can assure you, Mr. President, that we will be relentless in pursuing more services to end
the pandemic.
     Just this week, we began dosing participants aged 5 to 11 years old in a global Phase 2/3
study. In this respect, we continue our studies in pregnant women. We are also closely monitoring
and addressing the emerging variants, we are testing our vaccine's response to newly arising
variants, and we are coordinating with public health authorities around the world on surveillance
efforts. So far, data saw that none of the existing variant strains has escaped the protection
provided by our vaccine. I repeat: none. Not one.

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Still, we have built a process to develop, within 100 days, a new vaccine if needed, God
forbid. Our scientists are also pursuing an oral treatment against COVID–19. Initial indications
are promising. And if things goes well, we could apply for approval before the end of this year.
    But I wanted to finish my—by coming back to the importance of your announcement today,
Mr. President. In a pandemic, everyone is only as protected as their neighbors: their neighbors
down the street, as well as their global neighbors around the world.
     Today's announcement with the U.S. Government gets us closer to our goal and significantly
enhances our ability to save even more lives across the globe. Mr. President, I want to thank you
for your leadership, vision, and partnership. We look forward to continue to work with your
administration to ensure that science wins the battle against COVID–19.
    Thank you.
    The President. Thank you.
    Mr. Bourla. Thank you.
    The President. Thank you all.

NOTE: The President spoke at 6:28 p.m. at the Tregenna Castle Resort.

Categories: Addresses and Remarks : Global COVID–19 response and vaccination efforts in St.
Ives, United Kingdom.
Locations: St. Ives, United Kingdom.
Names: Biden, Jill T.; Bourla, Albert; Bush, George W.; Elizabeth II, Queen; Johnson, Boris.
Subjects: Afghanistan : U.S. military forces :: Deployment; Australia : Relations with U.S.;
Canada : Relations with U.S.; Commerce, international : Group of Seven (G–7) nations;
Coronavirus pandemic, international cooperation efforts; Defense and national security :
Cybersecurity :: Strengthening efforts; Diseases : Coronavirus, domestic prevention efforts;
Economy, national : Improvement; Economy, national : Strengthening efforts; Environment :
Climate change; Environment : United Nations Climate Change Conference; Health and medical
care : Research and development; HIV/AIDS : Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, President's;
India : Relations with U.S.; Japan : Relations with U.S.; Labor issues : Unions :: Labor movement
and organized labor; Mexico : Relations with U.S.; Pfizer Inc.; Terrorism : Global threat;
Terrorism : September 11, 2001, attacks; United Kingdom : Defense relationship with U.S.;
United Kingdom : President Biden's visit; United Kingdom : Prime Minister; United Kingdom :
Queen; United Kingdom : Relations with U.S.; United Nations : Framework Convention on
Climate Change.
DCPD Number: DCPD202100495.

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