The United States expects almost all Americans to receive both doses.
President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that his government is working with coronavirus vaccine manufacturers to buy another 200 million doses that would arrive this summer – bringing the total to 600 million and ensuring that the United States will eventually have two doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines by almost every American.
Biden also said that the federal government will increase the number of doses sent to states – from 8.6 million doses per week to 10 million per week for the next three weeks, and will begin to notify states how many doses they will receive three weeks in advance.
“We will increase the supply in the short term by more than 15% and give our states and local partners more certainty about when deliveries will arrive. These two steps will help increase our prospects of hitting or exceeding – God willing – the ambitious goal of 100 million shots in 100 days, “said Biden in comments at the White House on Tuesday.
The announcement does not resolve the great shortage the country is facing now and does not suggest that the Biden government has found a new way to increase production quickly.
But Biden said that “if God wants it”, it will allow millions of people to be vaccinated earlier than expected, warning that the “brutal truth” is that it will still take months to reach the majority of the population.
“This will allow millions of Americans to be vaccinated earlier than expected. However, we have a long way to go,” he said.
The slight increase to 10 million in the next three weeks was expected, as vaccine manufacturers slowly expand the offer, and the U.S. government already had the option to buy more doses under existing contracts.
Under President Donald Trump, the United States government had previously agreed to buy 200 million doses of Pfizer and 200 million doses of Moderna, which were delivered by July.
Since each vaccine requires two injections, these 400 million doses already purchased from Pfizer and Moderna would be sufficient to vaccinate nearly 200 million adults in the United States. However, tens of millions more people will need to be immunized to achieve “collective immunity”.
Biden emphasized that the United States now expects 600 million doses of the two vaccines, enough for 300 million Americans to be fully vaccinated with both doses.
The FDA has not approved the supply of any of the COVID-19 vaccines available to children until the companies complete further research. The Pfizer vaccine is authorized in people from 16 years old, while the Moderna vaccine is authorized for people over 18 years old.
A senior government official did not provide a firm schedule for the 200 million extra doses, but welcomed the change as a guarantee that every American who wants a dose can get it.
The official said that using the Defense Production Act to increase supply remains an option. Examples include more specialized syringes and raw materials, although vaccine manufacturers say there is little to be done in the short term to increase supplies quickly because it is highly technical.
“We will do everything in our power to increase the offer and streamline the administration of the vaccine,” said the official.
And at a time that showed a significant contrast to his predecessor Biden, he also said that masks are the best way to defend against the virus in the coming months, saying that not wearing a mask “is not very American”.
“In the coming months, masks – not vaccines – are the best defense against COVID-19. Experts say that wearing masks from now until April would save 50,000 lives that would otherwise die if we don’t use these masks. That’s why I’m asking the American people to disguise themselves for the first 100 days, “he said.
He added “the fact is that you want to be a patriot, you will protect people”.