U.S. Reaches Deal with Moderna for COVID-19 Omicron Booster
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration said Friday it has reached an agreement with Moderna to buy 66 million doses of the company’s next generation of COVID-19 vaccine that targets the highly transmissible omicron variant, enough supply this winter for all who want the upgraded booster.
Following the recent announcement that Pfizer had provided 105 million doses for a comparable vaccine, the order for the bivalent shot is now. If regulators approve, both orders will be delivered in fall and winter. Pentagon stated that the Moderna contract had a value of $1.74 trillion.
Learn More Joe Biden: Joe Biden is now facing a new political test with the Omicron variant
Since December the US has seen the most dominant omicron strain. However, there is now evidence that the BA.5 variant of the virus is causing massive waves of infections throughout the country. This includes President Joe Biden.
“We must stay vigilant in our fight against COVID-19 and continue to expand Americans’ access to the best vaccines and treatments,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “As we look to the fall and winter, we’re doing just that — ensuring Americans have the tools they need to stay safe and help keep our nation moving forward.”
Moderna and Pfizer are able to order 300,000,000 doses of each. But Congress must provide additional funding, as the Biden administration stated.
About 261,261,000,000 Americans have had at least one COVID-19 shot. Only 108 million people have been given a booster.
Read More From Time