Britain has signed a contract for 35 million additional doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer coronavirus vaccine in an effort to “protect the country from the threat of the virus in the future.”
This was reported by Politico.
The deal follows an April agreement for 60 million doses of the vaccine. Together with Monday’s announcement, the total number of vaccine doses purchased reached 135 million. The vaccines will be delivered starting in the second half of 2022.
In explaining the decision to buy more Pfizer vaccines, the government said it was making preparations to ensure that Britain is “years ahead of the virus and in relation to any future amplification programs.”
The latest deal will again raise questions about the fair distribution of vaccines and whether Britain’s purchase of vaccines for next year will mean fewer vaccines for countries that have vaccinated only a very small portion of their population.
In its statement, the government stressed that it is “committed to supporting global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and improving access to vaccines.”
The government pointed to Britain’s pledge to donate 100 million doses “over the next year” and to its £548 million contributions to COVAX vaccine distributions.
