The US government has been working tirelessly to secure a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine for its citizens. One of the ways they have been doing this is by negotiating purchase agreements with various pharmaceutical companies.
These purchase agreements secure a certain amount of vaccine doses from the company for the US government. In return, the government agrees to pay a negotiated price per dose. These agreements also include clauses for additional doses to be purchased if needed and the option to terminate the agreement if the company fails to meet certain conditions.
As of December 2020, the US government has secured purchase agreements with several companies including Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Novavax, and Johnson & Johnson. These agreements have been crucial in ensuring a steady supply of vaccines for the American people.
The Pfizer/BioNTech agreement, for example, secured 100 million doses of their vaccine, with the option for the government to purchase an additional 500 million doses if needed. The Moderna agreement secured 100 million doses, with an option for the government to purchase an additional 400 million doses.
These purchase agreements not only secure a supply of vaccines for the US, but they also demonstrate the government`s commitment to providing its citizens with access to a safe and effective vaccine. This commitment is especially important as the US has been one of the hardest hit countries by the pandemic, with over 20 million confirmed cases and over 350,000 deaths as of January 2021.
In conclusion, these purchase agreements between the US government and pharmaceutical companies are vital in securing a steady supply of COVID-19 vaccines for the American people. As the US continues to battle the pandemic, these agreements provide hope for a brighter future.
