The United States has secured an additional 200 million vaccines against coronavirus – meaning that the country will have enough for every American adult to receive the two-dose regimen, President Biden announced on Thursday.
“Now, we buy enough vaccines to vaccinate all Americans,” he said.
The country purchased 100 million doses each from Pfizer and Moderna – bringing the total guaranteed number to 600 million, Biden announced in the National Institutes of Health, fulfilling a promise he made in late January.
“As good news, both companies have agreed, and are now contractually obligated, to expedite delivery of the 100 million doses that were promised by the end of June to deliver them by the end of May,” said Biden.
“This is a month faster, which means that lives will be saved.”
Delivery dates for the rest of the vaccines have been postponed to “late July,” said Biden.
With a population of about 330 million, 73 million of whom are under 18, the United States would need 60 million additional doses to vaccinate literally all Americans. But many expressed their reluctance to get the vaccine and none of the vaccines have been approved for children yet.
The Pfizer vaccine can go to teenagers as young as 16, but the Modern injection is only available to adults 18 and older. However, these limitations may soon expand, said Dr. Anthony Fauci. Moderna has tests underway to test the vaccine’s effectiveness in children 12 years and older and Fauci said late last month that he expects children to be eligible for the vaccine in late spring or early summer.
On February 5, Tim Manning, the national supply chain coordinator for the COVID-19 response, announced that the Defense Production Act would be used to obtain more equipment and supplies for Pfizer, so that he could distribute vaccines more quickly. .
Manning said Pfizer was hampered by limited equipment and ingredient shortages, a problem that DPA could address by expanding the priority ratings in the pharmaceutical company’s contracts, which would ensure that they would get the supplies they needed before anyone else.
On Thursday, more than 68 million doses were distributed across the country and about 68 percent of the jabs were administered, CDC data show.