HHS, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense, will purchase 66 million doses of Moderna's bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster for potential use later this year.
The announcement comes a month after the FDA urged vaccine manufacturers to focus on leading omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5. The U.S. also purchased 105 million doses of Pfizer's bivalent vaccine, according to the July 29 news release from HHS. Pending FDA authorization and recommendation, the two contracts would make approximately 171 million bivalent vaccine booster doses available.
"We must stay vigilant in our fight against COVID-19 and continue to expand Americans' access to the best vaccines and treatments," said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. "As we look to the fall and winter, we're doing just that — ensuring Americans have the tools they need to stay safe and help keep our nation moving forward."