The United States has secured another 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 supply to vaccinate all Americans,” he said.
The country has bought 100 million doses each from Pfizer and Moderna, bringing the total insured number to 600 million, Biden announced at the National Institutes of Health, fulfilling a promise it made in late January.
“In good news, both companies agreed and are now contractually required to expedite the delivery of the promised 100 million doses in late June to deliver them in late May,” Biden said.
“This is a faster month, that means lives will be saved.”
Delivery dates for the remaining vaccines have been moved to “the end of July,” Biden said.
With a population of about 330 million, 73 million of whom are under the age of 18, the U.S. would need an additional 60 million doses to vaccinate literally every American. But many have expressed their unwillingness to receive the shot and no vaccine is yet approved for children.
Pfizer inoculation can be targeted at teens up to 16 years old, but the Modern shot is only available for adults over 18 years old. However, those limitations could soon be expanded, Dr. Anthony Fauci said. Modern has ongoing trials to test the effectiveness of the vaccine in children 12 and older and Fauci said late last month he hopes children will be eligible for the jab 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 get Pfizer more equipment and supplies to be able to get the vaccines out faster.
Manning said Pfizer had been hampered by the limited shortage of equipment and ingredients, a problem the DPA could solve by expanding the pharmaceutical company’s contracts’ priority ratings, ensuring it would get the supplies it needed before anyone else.
As of Thursday, more than 68 million doses have been distributed nationwide and approximately 68% of the bites have been administered, according to CDC data.