More Boosters Coming: US Secures More Than 100 Million Doses of Pfizer's Latest COVID-19 Vaccine for Fall Vaccine Campaign

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the Department of Defense (DOD), announced an agreement to purchase more than 100 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for a fall vaccine campaign. The contract announcement follows a June 28, 2022 meeting of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, which recommended the inclusion of an Omicron component for COVID-19 booster vaccines in the U.S.

“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,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “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.”
 
The $3.2 billion contract includes a combination of adult and pediatric doses with a portion of the adult doses provided as single-dose vials, a first for COVID-19 vaccines. HHS has been working with vaccine manufacturers to offer single-dose vials as an option to minimize instances of wastage. Pending FDA authorization of the vaccine and a recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS could expect to receive first deliveries of the new vaccine in the early fall.