Pfizer to supply US with additional 100M doses of vaccine

 Pfizer and BioNTech will supply US with an ditional 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine under a new agreement.

drugmakers said Wednesday that y expect to deliver all doses by July 31.

Pfizer alrey has a contract to supply government with 100 million doses of its vaccine.

Pfizer’s vaccine was first to gain approval from Food and Drug ministration and initial shipments went to states last week.

It has w been joined by a vaccine from Moderna, which was developed in closer cooperation with scientists from National Institutes of Health.

Moderna’s vaccine comes under umbrella of government’s own effort, which is called Operation Warp Speed. That public-private endeavor was designed to have millions of vaccine doses rey and available to ship once a shot received FDA approval.

deal with Pfizer moves nation closer to goal of vaccinating all Americans.

A law dating back to Korean War gives government authority to direct private companies to produce critical goods in times of national emergency.

Called Defence Production Act, its expected to be invoked to help Pfizer secure some raw materials needed for its vaccine.

Pfizer alrey h a contract to supply government with 100 million doses of its vaccine under Operation Warp Speed, but government officials have said its more of an arms-length relationship with company and y dont have as much visibility into its operations.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said last week that government was negotiating with Pfizer for more doses, but details provided on Tuesday about company's desire for better access to supplies are new.

"With se 100 million ditional doses, United States will be able to protect more individuals and hopefully end this devastating pandemic more quickly," said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.

We look forward to continuing our work with US government and healthcare providers around country.

  vaccine from Pfizer and German pharmaceutical BioNTech immediately raised hopes of taming a pandemic that has killed nearly 320,000 people in US and hobbled much of national ecomy.

Health care workers and nursing home residents topped list as local TV stations across country began brocasting scenes of first vaccinations. Some polls show skepticism about getting vaccinated may be easing.

After early failures with testing, Trump ministration officials are hoping to write a very different ending with vaccines. Operation Warp Speed has financed development, manufacture and distribution of millions of doses, with goal of providing a free vaccine to any American who wants one.

Operation Warp Speed is on track to have about 40 million doses of vaccine by end of this month, of which about 20 million would be allocated for first vaccinations. Distribution of those doses would span into first week of January. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two shots to be fully effective.

New York Times first reported new details of negotiations between Pfizer and Trump ministration. 

(IM CREDITS:PTI)