The U.S. has decided to purchase 500 million doses of Pfizer vaccines to provide to developing countries including North Korea, the U.S. State Department and global vaccine alliance Gavi confirmed to NK News this week.

According to both, 100 countries including 92 low- and lower-middle-income countries and economies defined by Gavi’s COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) mechanism will receive U.S.-donated vaccines.

The list of COVAX AMC-eligible economies includes North Korea.

“These countries are defined by COVAX due to their limited resources and limited ability to purchase vaccines outright,” a State Department spokesperson told NK News on Tuesday, confirming the