Luxury living at Tuscany Saturday Residence March 13, 2021 T: 582-7800 www.arubatoday.com facebook.com/arubatoday instagram.com/arubatoday Page 8 Aruba’s ONLY English newspaper STORAGE WARS Conflict grows between U.S. and allies over vaccine supply A healthcare worker administers a dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to a woman at the Brussels Expo center in Brussels, Thursday, March 4, 2021. Associated Press Page 2 A2 SATURDAY 13 MARCH 2021 UP FRONT Conflict grows between U.S. and allies over vaccine supply By ZEKE MILLER, RAF CASERT, its own stumbling vaccine and SAMUEL PETREQUIN rollout, appears increas- Associated Press ingly resigned to the Biden WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- administration retaining dent Joe Biden’s admin- control of the U.S. doses. istration is stockpiling tens The EU is at odds with As- of millions of doses of a traZeneca, too, because COVID-19 vaccine whose the company is delivering authorization in the U.S. re- far fewer doses to the bloc mains uncertain, frustrating than it had promised. U.S. allies who say those Of the initial order for 80 doses should be used now million in the first quarter this to save lives overseas. year, the company will be The standoff is part of a struggling to deliver half. growing global debate Despite shortages at home over who should have ac- and often being accused cess to hundreds of millions of vaccine protectionism of doses of vaccine that itself, the 27-nation bloc pharmaceutical compa- has allowed the export of nies are churning out in the well over 34 million doses of U.S. Besides generating ill COVID-19 vaccines in past will, Biden’s insistence on weeks, including 953,723 to an excess supply for Amer- the United States. ica is potentially creating Meanwhile, Russia and Chi- new openings for geopoliti- na have used their domes- cal rivals Russia and China. tically produced vaccines A two-dose vaccine from President Joe Biden passes a note to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during a virtual meeting for strategic leverage. AstraZeneca has received with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese China has pledged roughly emergency clearance Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, from the State Dining Room of the White House, Friday, March 12, half a billion doses to more 2021, in Washington. from the European Union Associated Press than 45 countries, accord- and World Health Orga- ing to a country-by-coun- nization but not from the Trump’s “America First” fo- with the existing production 20 million by the end of try tally by The Associated U.S. Now America’s part- cus. timeline. April. Press. ners are prodding Biden to EU member states’ ambas- “We have not provided As foreign regulators Four of China’s many vac- release his supply, noting sadors discussed the chal- doses from the U.S. govern- have moved ahead with cine makers are claiming that the administration has lenge this week. ment to anyone,” she said. the shot, the U.S. has not they will be able to pro- lined up enough doses of The German government Asked about the stockpiled dropped its contractual duce at least 2.6 billion three already-authorized said on Friday it was in vaccine, White House CO- claim on the initial doses doses this year. vaccines to cover every contact with U.S. officials VID-19 coordinator Jeff produced in America. Russia has sent millions of American adult by the end about vaccine supplies but Zients said, “We have a That policy has also come doses of its Sputnik V vac- of May and the entire U.S. stressed that the European small inventory of AstraZen- under criticism from U.S. cine to countries around population by the end of Commission has the lead eca so, if approved, we neighbors Canada and the world, even as it vac- July. when it comes to procuring can g et that inventory out Mexico, which have been cinates its own population. AstraZeneca says that shots for member states. to the American people as forced to seek vaccine Analysts say a goal of this the U.S.-produced vac- Biden and European Com- quickly as possible.” manufactured on a differ- vaccine diplomacy is to cines are “owned” by the mission President Ursula von He said the U.S. was follow- ent continent, rather than bolster Russia’s image as U.S. government and that der Leyen have directed ing the same procedure it across the border. Mean- a scientific, technological sending them overseas representatives to discuss used for the already-autho- while, the Biden administra- and benevolent power, would require White House supply chains in the vac- rized vaccines. tion has purchased enough especially as other coun- approval. cine production. Drug manufacturers that doses of Moderna, Pfizer tries encounter shortages “We understand other “Hopefully, we will be in a received federal assis- and Johnson & Johnson to of COVID-19 vaccines be- governments may have position on both sides of tance in developing or inoculate 150 million more cause richer nations are reached out to the U.S. the Atlantic to ensure that expanding vaccine manu- people than the U.S. pop- scooping up the Western- government about dona- sufficient quantities of vac- facturing were required to ulation by the end of the made versions. tion of AstraZeneca dos- cine doses are distributed sell their first doses to the year. Israel, which has vacci- es, and we’ve asked the out in line with the schedule U.S. In the case of Astra- The U.S. has also ordered nated more than half of its U.S. government to give so as to complete the vac- Zeneca, whose vaccine 110 million doses of vac- population with Pfizer vac- thoughtful consideration to cination campaigns,” was initially expected to be cine from Novavax, which cines produced in Europe, these requests,” Gonzalo EU commission chief the first to receive federal is expected to file for emer- has also attempted to use Viña, a spokesman for As- spokesman Eric Mamer emergency authorization, gency authorization as vaccine diplomacy to re- traZeneca, said in a state- said. the government ordered soon as next month. ward allies. ment. Well over 10 million doses of 300 million doses — enough AstraZeneca’s 30,000-per- Biden did move to have Even though the 27-nation AstraZeneca’s vaccine are for 150 million Americans — son U.S. trial didn’t com- the U.S. contribute finan- European Union is eager stockpiled in the U.S. for use before issues with the vac- plete enrollment until Janu- cially to the United Nations- to relaunch a more fruitful here. cine’s clinical trial held up ary. and World Health Organi- trans-Atlantic relationship “We want to be oversup- clearance.. The company hasn’t given zation-backed COVAX alli- after the bruising Trump plied and overprepared,” The company said this any hints of when initial ance, which will help share presidency, the vaccine is- White House press secre- month it believes it will results might be ready be- vaccine with more than 90 sue is proving to be a thorny tary Jen Psaki said Friday, have roughly 30 million yond an executive telling lower and middle-income topic, with some in Europe so Americans can still be doses available to the U.S. Congress last month he ex- nations, but the U.S. has yet seeing it as a continuation swiftly vaccinated in the government by the end of pected it would be “soon.” to commit to sharing any of former President Donald event of unforeseen issues March, and an additional The European Union, amid doses.q A3 U.S. NEWS SATURDAY 13 MARCH 2021 Cuomo defiant as wave of lawmakers calls for him to resign By MARINA VILLENEUVE Governor must resign,” she and STEVE PEOPLES tweeted. Associated Press Cuomo on Friday insisted ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Fac- that he never touched any- ing unprecedented politi- one inappropriately, and cal isolation, a defiant New said again that he’s sorry if York Gov. Andrew Cuomo he ever made anyone un- insisted on Friday that he comfortable. He declined would not step down in to answer a direct question the wake of sexual harass- about whether he’s had a ment allegations and con- consensual romantic re- demned the sprawling co- lationship with any of the alition of Democrats calling women. for his resignation as “reck- “I have not had a sexual less and dangerous.” relationship that was inap- The third-term Democratic propriate, period,” he said. governor, a leading critic The governor in recent of former President Don- days has been calling law- ald Trump’s pandemic re- makers and supporters ask- sponse, evoked the Repub- ing them to refrain from lican in defending himself calling for his resignation, against “cancel culture.” and instead support the “I’m not going to resign,” This Monday, March 8, 2021, file photo shows New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaking at a ongoing investigations. His Cuomo said during an af- vaccination site in New York. strategy does not appear ternoon phone call with re- Associated Press to be working. The state porters. “I did not do what Assembly allowed an im- has been alleged. Period.” day his party in New York COVID-19 for months. to have her voice heard, peachment investigation He added: “People know and beyond turned sharply Cuomo’s growing list of de- should be treated with re- into Cuomo on Thursday the difference between against him following al- tractors now covers virtual- spect and should be able as lawmakers investigate playing politics, bowing legations of harassment ly every region in the state to tell her story.” whether there are grounds to cancel culture and the as well as sweeping criti- and the political power Dozens of Democrats had for his forcible removal from truth.” cism of Cuomo for keep- centers of New York City already called on Cuomo office.