US to Remain WHO Member, Join Global COVID-19 Vaccine Program

The US will remain a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) under President Joe Biden and will join COVAX, a global COVID-19 vaccine program led by WHO, NIAID Director Anthony Fauci, MD, said in a speech to the organization’s executive board last week. 

In July 2020, President Donald Trump announced that the US will end its membership with WHO over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, particular when it came to China’s role. But last week, President Biden signed an official letter retracting the previous Administration’s announcement to withdraw from the WHO. 

“The WHO plays a crucial role in the world’s fight against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic as well as countless other threats to global health and health security,” President Biden said in the letter. “The United States will continue to be a full participant and a global leader in confronting such threats and advancing global health and health security.” 

In the recent speech, Fauci also stated that the Biden Administration will help to advance and support global health and global health security by joining COVAX. This move will also advance efforts for COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostic distribution, access to care, and research and development, he said. 

At the end of September 2020, 64 higher-income economies, including the European Commission, joined the COVAX Facility, the vaccine pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator.

The Accelerator is co-led by WHO, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, and the Vaccine Alliance.

In total, 156 economies, which represent about 64 percent of the global population, were committed or eligible for the COVAX Facility. At the time, the US was not on the list of confirmed or intended to confirm Facility participants. 

In addition to retaining membership with the WHO, the US also intends to fulfill its financial obligations to the organization.  

For example, the US will work with partners to strengthen and reform WHO, which officials say will help to bolster the international COVID-19 response and address its impact on people, communities, and health systems around the world, Fauci explained. 

“We will work with partners around the world to build a system that leaves us better prepared for this pandemic and for the next one,” Fauci said.  

“The United States stands ready to work in partnership and solidarity to support the international COVID-19 response, mitigate its impact on the world, strengthen our institutions, advance epidemic preparedness for the future, and improve the health and wellbeing of all people throughout the world,” he continued. 

As a member of the WHO, the US will also support women’s and girl’s sexual and reproductive health and rights in the US and globally by revoking the Mexico City Policy. 

The policy requires foreign non-governmental organizations to ensure that they will not “perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning” using funds from any source as a condition of receiving US government global family planning assistance.

Under the Trump administration, the US has relied on Operation Warp Speed to manage vaccine development and distribution. The initiative’s goal was to produce and deliver 300 million doses of safe and effective vaccines with the initial doses available by January 2021. 

Biden’s decision to join COVAX will allow the US to increase its vaccine supply substantially.

In December, COVAX stated that it will secure access to 2 billion doses of safe and effective vaccines that are suitable for all patients and widely and available by the end of 2021. 

These vaccine doses include 500 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine candidate, up to 900 million doses or more of either the AstraZeneca-Oxford or Novavax candidates, and 200 million doses of the Sanofi-GSK vaccine candidate.