WASHINGTON (AP) – The US government is about to strike a deal to obtain tens of millions of additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine in exchange for helping the pharmaceutical giant gain better access to manufacturing supplies.
A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the deal is pending and could be finalized soon. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing discussions.
Pfizer’s vaccine was the first to receive Food and Drug Administration approval, and the first shipments went to the states last week. It is now accompanied by a Moderna vaccine, which has been developed in closer collaboration with scientists at the National Institutes of Health.
Moderna’s vaccine falls under the umbrella of the government’s own effort called Operation Warp Speed. That public-private endeavor was to have millions of vaccine doses ready and available for shipment as soon as an admission was approved by the FDA.
But another deal with Pfizer would move the nation closer to the goal of vaccinating all Americans.
A law dating back to the Korean War gives the government the power to instruct private companies to produce critical goods in times of national emergencies. Called the Defense Production Act, this law is expected to be relied on to assist Pfizer in securing a number of raw materials needed for its vaccine.
Pfizer already has a contract to provide the government with 100 million doses of its vaccine under Operation Warp Speed, but government officials have said it’s more of a business relationship with the company and they don’t have much visibility into its operations.
Alex Azar, Minister of Health and Human Services, said last week that the government was negotiating with Pfizer for more doses, but details provided Tuesday about the company’s desire for better access to supplies are new.
Previously, US officials had said they were discussing the purchase of an additional 100 million doses of Pfizer vaccine for delivery as early as mid-next year. Those details and timing may have changed.
Pfizer said in a statement that “we continue to work with the US government to get doses of our COVID-19 vaccine to as many Americans as possible. The company cannot comment on any confidential discussions with the US government. “
The vaccine from Pfizer and the German pharmaceutical BioNTech immediately raised hopes of taming a pandemic that killed nearly 320,000 people in the US and affected much of the national economy. Health workers and nursing home residents topped the list when local TV stations across the country began broadcasting scenes of the first vaccinations. Some opinion polls show skepticism that getting a vaccination may decrease.
After early failures with testing, Trump administration officials hope to write a very different ending with vaccines. Operation Warp Speed has funded the development, manufacture, and distribution of millions of doses, with the goal of providing a free vaccine to every American who wants one.
Operation Warp Speed is on track to have about 40 million doses of vaccine by the end of this month, of which about 20 million are for the first vaccinations. The distribution of those doses would extend into the first week of January. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two injections to be fully effective.
The New York Times first reported the new details of the negotiations between Pfizer and the Trump administration.