Pfizer has announced that it will not be able to supply the United States with additional coronavirus vaccines until June or July.
The news comes after the Trump administration came under fire for failing to work out a deal with the pharmaceutical company to receive more than the 100 million doses that the company agreed to sell to the government for $1.95 billion.
Even further disheartening is that due to the surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Pfizer may not be able to provide the initial 100 million doses that they are under federal contract to deliver.
Despite the potential detrimental shortage, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services said that the Trump administration is confident that the vaccines will appear well before June or July of next year.
“We are confident that we will have 100 million doses of Pfizer’s vaccine as agreed to in our contract, and beyond that, we have five other vaccine candidates, including 100 million doses on the way from Moderna.”
To ensure that the U.S. will get first dibs on additional vaccines from Pfizer, Trump will sign an order on Tuesday guaranteeing that the U.S. receives priority access to the coronavirus vaccines, making them free for all Americans. The order will also outline how the U.S. government will assist other countries with accessing the vaccines once America’s demand is met. The order also contains a plan to donate vaccine doses to underprivileged countries.
