Washington, June 6: The United States will donate 7,50,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan. The vaccination jabs will be provided to Taiwan as part of the US plan to share shots with other countries. The development was confirmed by US Senator Tammy Duckworth on Sunday. Duckworth said that it would give a boost to Taiwan's fight against coronavirus.

Like many countries, Taiwan is witnessing a spike in COVID-19 cases and also a shortage of vaccines. According to a report published in global news agency Reuters, till now, three percent of people have been vaccinated in Taiwan. Out of the total people who got inoculated, most of them received only the first dose of vaccine. While interacting with the media, the US senator confirmed that the country would be providing 7,50,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses as part of the first tranche of US donations. US To Share 80 Mn Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine Supply With The World, Over 6 Mn Doses To Be Given to Countries Witnessing Surge Including India, Says Joe Biden.

Duckworth on Sunday arrived at Taipei's downtown Songshan airport with fellow Senators Dan Sullivan and Christopher Coons on a brief visit. "It was critical to the United States that Taiwan be included in the first group to receive vaccines because we recognise your urgent need, and we value this partnership," reported Reuters quoting Duckworth as saying. COVID-19 Vaccination in US: 25 American States Fully Vaccinate Over 50% Adults Against Coronavirus.

Taiwan alleged that China was trying to block the island from accessing vaccines globally. However, China denied these claims. Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu thanked the US for donations. Notably, China had offered its vaccines to Taiwan, but the island's government expressed concerns over the efficacy of the Chinese vaccines. Taiwan also needs to change its law to import vaccines from China. Earlier, Japan also delivered 1.24 million doses of AstraZeneca PLC's coronavirus vaccine to Taiwan.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 06, 2021 10:09 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).