WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States will send 4 million doses of Moderna Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine to Indonesia as it battles a coronavirus outbreak, the US national security adviser told Indonesia’s Minister of Affairs on Friday foreigners.

During a call with Retno Marsudi, Jake Sullivan said the doses would be shipped via the global COVAX vaccine sharing program “as soon as possible,” according to a White House statement.

Sullivan said the donation “underscores the United States’ support for the people of Indonesia as they fight an increase in COVID-19 cases.”

The two officials also discussed US plans to increase aid for Indonesia’s broader response efforts to COVID-19, the statement said.

“Sullivan underscored the importance the Biden-Harris administration places on Indonesia, Southeast Asia and the broader end of the pandemic and pledged continued support and high level engagement.” , indicates the press release.

Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world and is battling one of the worst coronavirus epidemics in Asia. The nation has seen record new infections in eight of the past 12 days, including 25,830 cases on Friday, and a record 539 deaths.

Indonesia has mainly relied on the vaccine from Chinese company Sinovac Biotech, but has sought to diversify its sources of supply.

Penny K. Lukito, head of the Indonesian Food and Medicines Agency, said earlier Friday that it was clearing the Moderna vaccine for emergency use.

Washington competes with Beijing to deepen its geopolitical influence through so-called vaccine diplomacy, although it has said it does not share vaccines to gain favors or concessions, but to save lives. and end the pandemic.

The Biden administration pledged last month to share an initial 80 million U.S.-made vaccines globally due to the disparity in immunization rates between advanced and developing countries.

It has already announced its intention to supply vaccines to other countries in Southeast Asia – the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Papua New Guinea and Cambodia.

It also announced that it will purchase 500 million Pfizer / BioNTech vaccines for distribution to the African Union and 92 low and lower middle income countries.

(Reporting by Eric Beech and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Bill Berkrot)

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