The US will begin using updated Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against COVID-19 in September

The US government has agreed to buy 66 million doses of an updated vaccine against COVID-19 What does a pharmaceutical company produce? Modern Both parties announced on Friday to use it in a reinforcement campaign in preparation for the fall and boreal winter.

The contract has value $1.74 billion and includes an option to purchase an additional 234 million doses for Washington. About the product, Moderna explained in a statement.

Both orders must be present Offered in the fall and winter of the Northern HemisphereOnce regulators confirm its effectiveness.

There is The improved vaccine seeks to improve protection against Omicron’s BA4 and BA5 subtypes in particularThese are currently dominant in the US.

Officials expect to receive the first deliveries in early fall, when they will be available It’s the first of 105 million booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine they recently agreed to buy.

“We have to stay We remain vigilant in our fight against COVID-19 and continue to expand Americans’ access to the best vaccines and treatments.” Health Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement.

According to the US government, agreements with Pfizer and Moderna are trying to make sure citizens get vaccines in the fall and winter that fight the most common strains of the virus right now.

But the Joe Biden administration included it in its Friday announcement Recent deals may not cover all U.S. residents. Although both include options to purchase a total of 600 million doses — 300 million from each company — they are “The options can only be implemented with additional funding from Congress.”

“We look forward to receiving these new variant-specific vaccines and working with our state and local health partners to make the vaccines freely available in communities across the country this fall.”HHS Undersecretary Dan O’Connell leads the Strategic Preparedness and Response Administration, HHS said in a news release.

The Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations are now on the rise again in the countryThe most recent data shows an average of about 130,000 weekly cases, up from 25,000 at the end of March.

The Omicron variant has dominated the US since December, with subsidiary variation BA.5 is now causing a massive wave of infections across the country, even infecting President Biden.

Some 261 million Americans have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. But only 108 million have received the booster.

Covid-19 deaths have piled up even more Older age groupsLast winter Omicron was hospitalized well below the peak of the tide.

In late June, an FDA advisory panel consisted of independent vaccine experts There is widespread agreement on the need to update coronavirus vaccines, as the virus is now more adept at evading their protection. That meeting accelerated the drugmakers’ plan to have the improved formulations ready by September.

However, the Updated vaccines must be licensed by the FDA and recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Before starting to use.

(With information from EFE and AP)

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