The US has secured an additional 200 million coronavirus vaccines – meaning the country will have enough for every American adult to get the two-dose regimen, President Biden announced Thursday.
“We have now bought enough vaccine supplies to vaccinate all Americans,” he said.
The country has each purchased 100 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna – bringing the total to 600 million, Biden announced at the National Institutes of Health, delivering on a pledge he made in late January.
“Further good news, both companies have agreed, and are now under contract, to accelerate the delivery of 100 million doses promised by the end of June,” Biden said.
“That’s a month faster, that means lives are being saved.”
Delivery dates for the rest of the vaccines have been moved to “the end of July,” Biden said.
With a population of about 330 million, 73 million of whom are under 18, the US would need an additional 60 million doses to vaccinate literally every American. But many have expressed reluctance to get the shot, and neither vaccine is approved for children yet.
Pfizer’s vaccination can go to teens from the age of 16, but the Moderna shot is only available for adults 18 and older. However, those restrictions could expand quickly, said Dr. Anthony Fauci. Moderna is in the process of testing the vaccine’s efficacy in children 12 and older, and Fauci said late last month that he expects children to be eligible for the shot 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 provide Pfizer with more equipment and supplies so it could get the vaccines faster.
Manning said Pfizer was hampered by a limited shortage of equipment and ingredients, a problem the DPA could solve by expanding the priority ratings on the pharmaceutical company’s contracts, ensuring they would get the necessary supplies before anyone could get there. different.
As of Thursday, more than 68 million doses have been distributed across the country and about 68 percent of shots have been administered, data from the CDC shows.