The Biden administration announced Friday it has secured 66 million doses of Moderna’s bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine for the fall and winter. The contract follows a Food and Drug Administration recommendation that pharmaceutical companies update their existing COVID-19 vaccines that will target the more contagious BA. and BA.5 omicron subvariants.
“We must stay vigilant in our fight against COVID-19 and continue to expand Americans’ access to the best vaccines and treatments,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “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.”
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The addition of the Moderna vaccine follows the administration’s purchase last month of 105 million doses of Pfizer’s bivalent COVID-19 boosters for use later in the year, pending FDA authorization and a recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 148
The administration said COVID-19 vaccines remain the best weapon against the virus, preventing death, severe illness and hospitalization. Last month, advisers to the FDA urged at-risk adults and seniors to be first in line to receive updated coronavirus boosters when they become available late this year.
The virus remains especially risky for older adults. According to recent data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, four times as many people between the ages of 75 and 84 were dying from the virus during the first week of June than people who were 20 year younger. That was an even larger gap than last winter when twice as many people in that older age group were dying from COVID-19 compared to people in the 55 to 65 age group.
Adults over age 65 are among the most highly vaccinated Americans. Currently, nearly 92% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. However, only about 38% have received a second booster.
