Jakarta. Indonesia on Sunday received 3.5 million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine from the US government, bringing the total doses donated by the United States to 8 million.

The delivery was arranged by the Covax Advance Market Commitment, a UN-approved global initiative to support equitable access to Covid-19 vaccine.

“Allow me on this occasion to express appreciation and gratitude to the United States government for the additional shipment of the Moderna vaccine,” Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in a video conference.

“Cooperation through this dose-sharing mechanism is one of the decisive ways for the world to get rid of the pandemic.”

US Ambassador Sung Y. Kim said vaccine donation to Indonesia is part of President Joe Biden’s commitment to provide 80 million Covid-19 vaccines to countries in need, including Indonesia.

“The United States is pleased and proud to do our part to help end the Covid-19 pandemic by contributing doses to Indonesia. We will continue to support Indonesia’s vaccine rollout effort and help Indonesia move closer toward a safe reopening of its economy,” the envoy said in a statement.

To date, the United States has invested $47 million to help Indonesia improve vaccination services, accelerate testing and tracing, share factual information, and improve healthcare facilities capacities and services, Sung said.

The US government has earlier donated over 1,000 ventilators that are currently in use in 600 hospitals across Indonesia.

Retno said an additional 620,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine donated by the UK government will arrive on Monday.

Indonesia has received a total of 19.7 million doses from a number of countries delvered through Covax so far, she added.