On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced that his administration has secured deals for another 200 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, bringing the U.S. total to 600 million, according to CNBC.
While on a tour at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Biden said, “Just this afternoon, we signed the final contracts for 100 million more Moderna and 100 million more Pfizer vaccines,” adding the nation will have enough supply for 300 million Americans by the end of July.
The Washington Post first reported the news. Earlier, Ron Klain, White House Chief of Staff, appeared to confirm the news. He retweeted The Washington Post story from his official White House Twitter account.
Both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines are to be administered in two doses given three to four weeks apart, so the total of 600 million doses would be enough to vaccinate 300 million Americans.
Biden has been trying to pick up the pace of vaccinations in the U.S.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said more than 34 million out of some 331 million Americans have received at least their first dose of coronavirus vaccine, while over 11 million of those people have already received their second shot.
In a separate statement, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said each company would leverage US-based manufacturing capacity “to fill, finish and ship vials as the bulk material is produced.”
Pfizer already has a deal with the US to deliver 200 million doses. Moderna also has the same deal. Earlier this month, Pfizer said that it planned to finish those shipments by May.
Meanwhile, many states have complained that demand for COVID vaccines is outpacing supply. Previously, the administration has said it is using the Defense Production Act to help Pfizer meet the manufacturing targets for its vaccine.
On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced it would team up with Texas officials to build three new community vaccination centers, in Dallas, Arlington, and Houston, according to CNBC.
Public health officials hope that vaccine supply will increase in the nation after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, which is expected to happen soon.
Previously, the HHS announced that it reached a deal with Janssen-Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical subsidiary, worth approximately $1 billion for 100 million doses of its vaccine. This deal will give the US government the option to order another 200 million doses, according to the announcement.
The story appeared on The Washington Post and CNBC.
