Swiss ink deal with Moderna for 4.5M doses of COVID vaccine

Swiss federal government says it has struck a deal with Moderna to supply Switzerland with 4.5 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine if U.S. biotech firm successfully develops one.

Federal Office of Public Health says agreement aims “to guarantee Switzerland early access to vaccine of Moderna” and is one of first such deals by any government with company.

“ federal government wants to ensure that Swiss population has rapid access to a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine,” an office statement said Thursday. “At same time, Switzerland is supporting multilateral projects for fair distribution of a future vaccine.”

Moderna deal would make it possible to vaccinate 2.25 million people, because expectations are that two doses would be needed, it said. That would be eugh for more than a fourth of wealthy Alpine country's population of about 8.2 million.

Swiss government is also in talks with or vaccine companies and has alrey allocated 300 million Swiss francs (nearly $330 million) for purchases of COVID-19 vaccine. It did t specify value of Moderna deal.

Early trials found experimental Moderna vaccine, developed with U.S. National Institutes of Health, revved up people's immune systems. A larger study that's expected to involve 30,000 people began last month and hopes to show vaccine is strong eugh to protect against coronavirus.

agreement comes amid a thorny debate about who should get a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine first.