(Bloomberg) -- Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will ask U.S. counterpart Joe Biden for help getting vaccines against Covid-19, as one of the nations hardest hit by the pandemic struggles to inoculate its population.
“We want a response to a petition we have already made, and if President Biden considers it he can give us a response on vaccines during the conversation,” Lopez Obrador said at his daily press conference, ahead of a call between the two leaders set for Monday afternoon.
Lopez Obrador said he broached the topic the last time they spoke, but didn't elaborate on exactly what they discussed.
Mexico has suffered the third-most coronavirus deaths of any country in the world and it has vaccinated so far less than 2% of its population, according to Bloomberg's Vaccine Tracker. The country was hit by supply shortages from producer Pfizer Inc. earlier this year, which delayed Mexico's inoculation program after it became the first Latin American nation to administer a Covid-19 vaccine in December.
Mexico has also led pleas for vaccines to be shared more equally around the world, calling on rich nations to avoid hoarding shots.
More Than 241 Million Shots Given: Covid-19 Tracker
Americans First
The White House has said it will explore how to share any surplus doses abroad, but its first priority is making vaccines available to all Americans. The U.S. has ordered enough doses to vaccinate at least 400 million people, more than its population. It is set to receive those doses by the end of July, according to company delivery estimates.
“The president has made clear he is focused on ensuring that vaccines are accessible to every American. That is our focus,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday when asked about sharing vaccine supply with Mexico.
After all Americans get the shots, the U.S. would be “happy to discuss further steps beyond that.”
Psaki also said the White House expects the call to focus “on migration, recovery from Covid-19, climate change and security.”
For his part, Lopez Obrador, known as AMLO, said he will push to include Mexican professionals in a guest-worker program he plans to propose to Biden.
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