The US government will pay $1.95bn for these 100 million doses: which is the same price as agreed for the first 100 million doses in mid-July.
The 200 million doses of the two-dose vaccine - which was authorized in the US this month - will allow 100 million people to be vaccinated. Delivery of all these doses is expected by the end of July next year: with the majority by the end of June.
The US also has the option to acquire up to an additional 400 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine: which would take the total to 600 million. If the same price was agreed for the further doses, that would equal a total of $11.7bn.
'This is a clear sign of confidence and trust in our vaccine'
Pfizer and BioNTech say the additional order is a sign of confidence in the vaccine, which was authorized for emergency use in the US this month and has started rolling out across the country. President-elect Joe Biden is among those to have already received their first dose of the vaccine.
Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer, said: “With these 100 million additional doses, the US will be able to protect more individuals and hopefully end this devastating pandemic more quickly.”
Ugur Sahin, M.D., CEO and co-founder of BioNTech, said: “We regard the US government’s order of additional doses from their vaccine contingent as a clear sign of confidence and trust in our vaccine and our ability to deliver.
"Our goal remains to bring a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine to as many people as we can all around the world.”
The additional doses will help Operation Warp Speed expand its portfolio of vaccine doses: with the government pledging that there will be enough doses to vaccinate every American who wants it by June 2021. (It also has supply agreements with Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi/GSK: the largest being with AstraZeneca for 300 million doses).