President Joe Biden said March 10 the federal government will buy 100 million more doses of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year, The New York Times reported.
The additional doses are intended to prepare for unpredictable challenges, such as virus variants or vaccine manufacturing issues, as well as to vaccinate children, the Times reported.
The president made the announcement during a meeting at the White House with executives from Johnson & Johnson and Merck. The rival drugmakers announced a partnership earlier this month in which Merck will help make Johnson & Johnson's vaccine.
An administration official told the Times the doses are expected to be delivered sometime in the second half of the year, but said the deal has not been finalized. President Biden is to direct HHS officials to negotiate the details with Johnson & Johnson.
The U.S. has already signed a deal with Johnson & Johnson to provide 100 million doses by the end of June. The government has distributed about 3.9 million doses and plans to distribute 16 million more by the end of March, according to CNBC.
The purchase of the additional doses will bring the country's total number of vaccines ordered from Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer to 800 million, Politico reported.
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