Media CenterCRS Applauds Administration’s G-7 Vaccine Pledge, But Pushes for More Support

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Nikki Gamer
Catholic Relief Services
[email protected]
(978) 884-0003
 

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, June 10, 2021 – In response to the administration’s pledge to purchase 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to donate to 100 vulnerable countries overseas, Bill O’Keefe, Catholic Relief Services’ executive vice president for Mission, Mobilization and Advocacy, issued the following statement:

“We’re pleased to see the U.S. pick up the mantle of global leadership on COVID-19. While many G-7 countries, including the United States, are experiencing astoundingly successful vaccination rollouts, the rest of the world struggles, with cases spiking in Haiti, Nepal, Brazil and across Africa. The secondary impacts of the pandemic, like growing hunger and increased violence against women, are crushing the world’s most marginalized people. The poor are getting poorer. The quicker we can vaccinate vulnerable populations, the quicker we can make up for such losses as well as prevent future loss.

Yet U.S. support for overseas vaccination efforts needs to be more holistic. U.S. global leadership providing vaccines will only succeed when coupled with a U.S.-led plan to get those vaccines in arms. National ministries of health and faith-based health providers need more funding and support, especially in conflict areas. Only then will the pandemic end everywhere.”

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Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agency alleviates suffering and provides assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. For more information, visit www.crs.org or www.crsespanol.org and follow Catholic Relief Services on social media in English at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube; and in Spanish at: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Nikki Gamer

Senior Public Affairs Manager

Nikki Gamer
June 10, 2021

Based in Baltimore, MD

Nikki is the Senior Public Affairs Manager for CRS and connects journalists to regional stories and sources related to the agency’s life-saving development work. Previously, Nikki worked as the Communications Officer for the Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia. She has covered CRS’ response to the Syrian refugee crisis and the mass displacement...More