Pfizer-BioNTech said Wednesday that it will provide the United States with an additional 100 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine as the country struggles to maintain pressure in diseases.
The drugmakers said they plan to complete the delivery by the end of July in a nearly $ 2 billion deal with the federal government.
“Obtaining more doses from Pfizer and BioNTech for delivery in the second quarter of 2021 will expand our dose supply across the Operation Warp Speed package,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. “This new federal purchase can give Americans more confidence that we will have enough supply for all Americans who want it by June 2021.”
On December 11, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use, clearing the way for drug manufacturers to give the government an original 100 million dose.
The agreement announced Wednesday specifies that the companies will deliver at least 70 million of the additional doses by June 30, with the remaining 30 million doses delivered by July 31. The government can also purchase up to 400 million additional doses.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the first of two approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration, the other developed by competitor Moderna, Inc. The first shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine began across the US on December 13th.
The U.S. continues to lead the world in COVID-19 deaths, with nearly 323,000, and in diseases, with more than 18.2 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. The coronavirus causes the COVID-19 infection.
Health care workers and nursing home residents have been among the first to receive the vaccine. More than 600,000 people in the U.S. received their first doses Monday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna two-vaccine vaccines are required to be fully effective.