U.S bought an additional 100 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, announced this Friday the Department of Health.
The agreement increases to 200 million the doses purchased from the US biotechnology firm Modern, while U.S ordered another 100 million vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech.
Both vaccines have yet to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). An advisory committee will meet next Thursday to give its opinion on the vaccine Modern, after studying the complete data from clinical trials.
This committee has already recommended that the FDA authorize the vaccine Pfizer/BioNTech, and the agency’s decision is pending.
“This new acquisition by federal authorities should give Americans even greater confidence that we will have enough supply to vaccinate all Americans who want it by the second quarter of 2021,” said Health Secretary Alex Azar , quoted in a statement.
Other agreements
Modern indicated in another statement that these additional doses will be distributed in the second quarter of 2021.
As for the first 100 million doses, if authorized by the health authorities, “about 20 million will be distributed by the end of December 2020, and the rest during the first quarter of 2021,” he confirmed Modern.
U.S It also bought doses from two other groups that are well advanced in developing their own vaccine.
On the one hand, 100 million doses of Johnson & Johnson, which could apply for a marketing authorization in late January or early February, according to Moncef Slaoui, the government’s scientific advisor.
And on the other hand, 300 million doses to AstraZeneca/Oxford, which could do the same in late February or early March.
(With information from AFP)
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