Antananarivo,
November 25, 2021
Good morning,
It is both an honor and a relief to be here today to welcome about 400,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. As we all know, COVID-19 remains a very real threat. We must remain vigilant and intensify efforts to encourage people to get vaccinated and provide Malagasy people with an opportunity to do so.
Like all of the approved vaccines, these Pfizer vaccines are safe and effective against COVID-19.
They are the surest way to protect yourself, your family, and your community from the spread of this deadly virus.
I must also say that I am proud to represent a global leader in our shared fight against COVID-19. The United States is not only the largest single-country donor to COVAX, but also the largest donor of COVID-19 vaccines to Madagascar.
Since July, the American people have given more than one million COVID-19 doses to the Malagasy people – including more than 630,000 doses donated from our own domestic supply.
The U.S. government is doing all it can to support Madagascar’s healthcare system in the face of this pandemic that has taken so many lives, disrupted everyday activities for so long, and derailed the nation’s economic growth.
Through our development agency, USAID, the American people are funding activities throughout the country to protect and train healthcare workers, provide testing, educate people about the vaccines, deliver vaccines and medical supplies all across Madagascar, and support vaccination centers and mobile clinics.
That’s because widespread vaccination is the most important step we can all take to ensure a return to normal life as soon as possible.
Please do what you can and get vaccinated.
Take advantage of these remarkable vaccines to protect yourself, your family, and your community. And like “mpirahalahy mianala,” we can overcome this pandemic together.
Thank you.