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Source: Bloomberg
By Naomi Kresge and John Follain
The European Union is negotiating with Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE on a deal that could double their supply of Covid-19 vaccine to the region as countries race to immunize enough people to tame a fresh virus resurgence.
The new contract would include 100 million doses, as well as an option for as many as 200 million more, according to people familiar with the talks who asked not to be identified because the negotiations are private.
Governments across the EU face growing questions over the slow pace of their vaccine rollouts, and shots from other drugmakers such as AstraZeneca Plc won’t be available for weeks at the earliest.
The attempt to secure more of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine comes less than a week after the 27-member bloc boosted its original 200 million-dose order to 300 million. If the option in the new agreement were exercised, it would lift the total doses to 600 million, enough to vaccinate two-thirds of the bloc’s population based on a two-dose regimen.