The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently detailed an agreement to purchase 105 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for a fall vaccination campaign.
HHS collaborated with the U.S. Department of Defense on the $3.2 billion contract that includes a combination of adult and pediatric doses, with a portion of the adult doses provided as single-dose vials. The agreement possesses options for up to 300 million doses, per HHS.
Additionally, officials said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee recently conducted a meeting recommending the inclusion of an Omicron component for COVID-19 booster vaccines.
“Vaccines have been a game-changer in our fight against COVID-19, allowing people to return to normal activities knowing that vaccines protect from severe illness,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said. “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to doing everything we can to continue to make vaccines free and widely available to Americans – and this is an important first step to preparing us for the fall.”
HHS could expect to receive the first deliveries of the vaccine in early fall, pending FDA authorization of the vaccine and a recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Over the past 18 months, we have procured and delivered more than 750 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine nationwide, contributing to two-thirds of American adults being fully vaccinated,” HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell said. “We look forward to taking delivery of these new variant-specific vaccines and working with state and local health departments, pharmacies, health care providers, federally qualified health centers, and other partners to make them available in communities around the country this fall.”