US to receive additional 200 million Covid-19 vaccine doses from Pfizer-BioNTech

With this, the total number of doses supplied to the US would reach 500 million, under the existing supply agreement.

The US will get an additional 200 million doses of the Covid-19 shots by vaccine makers Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE, the companies said in a statement released on Friday. The doses will be delivered starting from October this year through April 2022, the statement further said.

Of the 200 million new doses, the companies expect to deliver 110 million doses by December 31, 2021 and the other 90 million doses no later than April 30, 2022. (Reuters File Photo)

With this, the total number of doses supplied to the US would reach 500 million, under the existing supply agreement between Pfizer-BioNTech and the US government. This would be enough to fully immunise 250 million people with the vaccine’s two-dose regimen.

Of the 200 million new doses, the companies expect to deliver 110 million doses by December 31, 2021 and the other 90 million doses no later than April 30, 2022.

“As a long-term partner to the US government in the fight against this pandemic, we are proud of the impact of vaccination efforts across the country. Vaccines have been and will remain critical to protecting lives against this devastating disease,” Pfizer chief executive officer Albert Bourla said. “These additional doses will help the US government ensure broad vaccine access into next year,” he added.

Further, the US government can also acquire an updated version of the vaccine to be used for inoculation against potential Covid-19 variants and also newer formulations of the dose.

“It has been our consistent goal to supply as many doses of our Covid-19 vaccine as possible to people around the world to help bring an end to this pandemic,” said Ugur Sahin, CEO of BioNTech. “We are honored to support the US and more than 100 countries in their continuing vaccination programs,” he added.

Earlier on June 10, 2021, the companies said that they would provide 500 million doses of the vaccine to the US government to battle flare-ups of Covid-19 in low and lower middle income countries of the world. They also announced that 200 million doses would be supplied this year while the remaining 300 million doses in the first half of 2022.

The additional procurement of vaccines by the US could be used for vaccination of children under 12 years of age, who are not yet eligible to receive a shot, and also for an additional booster shot if data proves them necessary, news agency Bloomberg reported citing a White House official familiar with the matter.