The United States will donate 750,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan as part of the country's plan to share shots globally, US Senator Tammy Duckworth has said, offering a much-needed boost to the island's fight against the pandemic.

Speaking at Taipei's downtown Songshan airport after arriving on a brief visit with fellow Senators Dan Sullivan and Christopher Coons, Duckworth said Taiwan would be getting 750,000 doses as part of the first tranche of US donations.

“It was critical to the United States that Taiwan be included in the first group to receive vaccines because we recognise your urgent need and we value this partnership,” she said at a news conference. She did not give details of which vaccines Taiwan would get or when.