Pfizer, US strike 100 million COVID-19 vaccine deal
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Under the new agreement, Pfizer will deliver at least 70 million doses by June 30 and the rest no later than July 31, the company said on Wednesday.
The US government has signed a deal with Pfizer Inc according to which it will pay nearly $2 billion for 100 million additional doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to bolster its supply.
Under the new agreement, Pfizer will deliver at least 70 million doses by June 30 and the rest no later than July 31, the company said on Wednesday.
This will bring the total number of doses to 200 million for a total price of about $4 billion.
The purchase price amounts to $19.50 per shot and is slightly higher than the $18.90 per dose that Reuters has reported the European Union has agreed to pay.
The US deal comes after growing concern that the government had not done enough to secure doses of one of the two authorised vaccines, made more pressing amid a COVID-19 surge that has left hospitals struggling to find beds for the sick.
Pfizer first started asking for the government’s help in obtaining supplies as early as September and has been unhappy about the lack of response, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times.
Pfizer already has a federal contract, signed in July, to deliver 100 million doses of its vaccine by the end of March.
(with inputs)