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The money now stops with President Biden over the deployment of coronavirus vaccine – and he promised on Tuesday to increase supply and provide ‘enough vaccine to vaccinate 300 million Americans by the end of summer, early autumn. ‘ Biden said the federal government plans to buy another 200 million doses of vaccine – each 100 from Moderna and Pfizer, bringing the total supply to 600 million, reports Politico. Both vaccines are two doses. There are currently only about 260 million Americans eligible to be vaccinated, but that number could rise depending on the results of Moderna and Pfizer’s clinical trials for children as young as 12, reports the Washington Post. Authorities say that despite the extra order, limited manufacturing capacity means a boost in immediate supply is unlikely before April New York Times.
“It will enable millions of Americans to be vaccinated sooner than previously anticipated,” the president said, describing the pressure as a time of war. Biden also announced that there will be a 16% increase in the doses of vaccines sent to states after the next three weeks following complaints of major deficiencies, reports AP. Upon taking office, Biden initially promised to vaccinate 100 million Americans within 100 days, but experts said the rate should double by the end of the summer to return to normal. Biden also said Tuesday that heads of state will now be notified of the vaccine award three weeks before delivery. “Until now, we had to guess how much vaccine each week,” he said. “This is unacceptable. Lives are at stake.” (Read more stories about coronavirus vaccination.)