Icon: enlarge
Sought-after goods: Biontech vaccine against Covid 19
Photo:
Laci Perenyi / imago images / Laci Perenyi
The US has agreed to deliver an additional 100 million doses of corona vaccine with pharmaceutical companies Biontech and Pfizer.
This increases the number of total vaccination doses to 200 million, said Pfizer.
At least 70 million of the additional cans are said to be delivered by June 30, 2021.
The remaining 30 million should follow by July 31 at the latest.
The US government will pay $ 1.95 billion for the additional amount and also have the option to purchase up to 400 million additional doses of the Biontech-Pfizer compound, it said.
"This new government mandate can give Americans even more confidence that we will have enough vaccine to vaccinate every American who wants to by June 2021," said US Secretary of Health Alex Azar.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said, "With these 100 million additional doses, the United States will be able to protect more people and hopefully end this devastating pandemic faster."
"A clear sign of confidence"
The founder of the Mainz-based pharmaceutical company Biontech, Ugur Sahin, said: "We see the ordering of additional doses from the US government's vaccine contingent as a clear sign of confidence and trust in our vaccine and our ability to deliver it." To provide a safe and effective vaccine to as many people in the world as possible.
Last week the federal government and the EU came under pressure because they apparently had not secured enough vaccine so far.
According to SPIEGEL information, the federal government had relied on the EU's purchasing policy.
This in turn had turned down hundreds of millions of doses of vaccine - apparently also to keep orders from manufacturers in different EU countries in balance.
One thing is clear: In Germany, where vaccination is due to start on December 27, the serums will not be sufficient for everyone in the first few months.
A regulation should regulate the distribution.
Health Minister Jens Spahn still expects that 60 percent of the population could be vaccinated by the end of summer next year.
Until then, according to the CDU politician, he also reckons with the necessary number of vaccine doses.
He is already planning an advertising campaign for the vaccinations.
The vaccine from Pfizer and Biontech has been used in the US on the basis of an emergency approval since last Monday.
The vaccine from the US company Moderna has only been administered in the US this week.
More than 77 million people worldwide have been infected with the coronavirus.
An estimated 1.7 million people worldwide have died from or with the virus.
The US is hardest hit with nearly 18 million infections and 319,644 deaths.
Icon: The mirror
apr / Reuters / dpa
