The U.S. reaches a deal with Moderna for the omicron Covid-19 vaccine

The president of the United States, Joe Biden, and his administration said on Friday that it had contacted an agreement with Moderna to purchase 66 million doses of the company’s next era of COVID-19 vaccine that targets the highly contagious omicron variant, enough to supply this winter for all who want to get the upgraded booster.

The demand for the bivalent shot follows the statement last month that the national government had booked 105 million doses of an identical vaccine from rival drugmaker Pfizer. Both orders are planned for delivery in the fall of winter, considering regulators signed off on their effectiveness.

The Pentagon said the Moderna contract was worth $1.74 billion. The omicron strain has been prevailing in the U.S. since December, with the BA.5 subvariant now causing a huge wave of ailments across the country, even infecting President Joe Biden himself.

“We must stay alert in our fight against COVID-19 and continue to extend Americans’ access to the finest vaccines and treatments,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “As we look to the fall of winter, we are doing just that — ensuring Americans have the means they need to stay safe and help keep our nation moving forward.”

The U.S. demands with Pfizer and Moderna comprises options to purchase 300 million doses each, but achieving that total will need more grant from Congress, the Biden administration said in their statement.