WASHINGTON: US officials say they are actively negotiating additional purchases of the coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer after missing the opportunity to close a deal this summer as it was not yet clear how well the injections would work.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Special Counsel Dr. Moncef Slaoui also told reporters Wednesday that Pfizer had been unable to commit to a firm delivery date. Azar called that “the core problem.”
There was no immediate comment from the company, whose chief executive, Albert Bourla, told CNN this week that he is “working very collaboratively” with the government to deliver an additional vaccine through federal Operation Warp Speed. That’s a White House-backed, taxpayer-funded effort to rapidly develop coronavirus vaccines and treatments.
Meanwhile, the FDA said Wednesday night that some vials of the Pfizer vaccine may contain more than the five standard doses. The FDA statement followed reports from hospital and pharmacy staff that some vials are apparently overfilled. The FDA recommended that health professionals use as many full doses as possible “given the public health emergency.” The agency said it is communicating with Pfizer on the matter.
The Trump administration has come under fire from congressional Democrats after news leaked last week about a missed opportunity to get more vaccines.
“We are concerned that the failure to ensure an adequate supply of vaccines will unnecessarily prolong the Covid-19 pandemic in this country, causing further loss of life and economic devastation,” said a group of senators led by Patty Murray of Washington and Ron Wyden of Oregon. wrote HHS.
“We fear this is another case where the failure of the Trump administration to develop a comprehensive national vaccine plan in a timely manner could jeopardize efforts to vaccinate people and ultimately end this pandemic.” Azar tried to rebut that concern Wednesday, saying pending contracts with various manufacturers will guarantee enough vaccines for all Americans by the middle of next year. A second Moderna vaccine appears to be pending approval by the Food and Drug Administration in a few days, and more vaccine candidates are advancing through clinical trials.
But that of Pfizer and the German pharmaceutical company BioNTech was the first to reach the arms of Americans, raising hopes of taming a pandemic that has killed more than 300,000 people in the United States and hampered much of the national economy. Healthcare workers and nursing home residents top the list as local television stations across the country broadcast scenes from the first vaccines. Some surveys show that skepticism about vaccination may be on the wane.
After the first few failures with testing, Trump administration officials hope to write a very different ending with vaccines. Operation Warp Speed has funded the development, manufacturing and distribution of millions of doses, with the goal of providing a free vaccine to any American who wants one.
Pfizer was not as involved with Operation Warp Speed as other manufacturers, preferring to maintain control over its own development and manufacturing. But the government signed a contract to buy 100 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the first of which was shipped this week.
What is at stake is the purchase of another 100 million doses for delivery in the middle of next year.
“We are in active negotiations,” Azar said.
Slaoui, a world-renowned vaccine scientist who is helping lead the federal effort, said the goal from the outset was to have several promising vaccines in development, and for taxpayers to bear the financial risk if a given vaccine failed to achieve approval from the FDA. “We created a portfolio of vaccines to make sure that at least one of them made it to the finish line,” he said.
In the summer, “it wouldn’t make sense to ask a manufacturer for more in advance before you know how a vaccine works.” Although the initial signs were positive for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the full FDA review did not take place until earlier this month.
Slaoui and Azar also said that because of Operation Warp Speed’s relationship with Pfizer, officials had less window on the company’s manufacturing and any potential issues that might arise.
“Of course, we would appreciate having another 100 million doses,” Slaoui said, adding that he hopes the negotiations with Pfizer will be successful.
With at least one other vaccine appearing to be approved, they are already talking about a surplus that could be shipped to the rest of the world.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Special Counsel Dr. Moncef Slaoui also told reporters Wednesday that Pfizer had been unable to commit to a firm delivery date. Azar called that “the core problem.”
There was no immediate comment from the company, whose chief executive, Albert Bourla, told CNN this week that he is “working very collaboratively” with the government to deliver an additional vaccine through federal Operation Warp Speed. That’s a White House-backed, taxpayer-funded effort to rapidly develop coronavirus vaccines and treatments.
Meanwhile, the FDA said Wednesday night that some vials of the Pfizer vaccine may contain more than the five standard doses. The FDA statement followed reports from hospital and pharmacy staff that some vials are apparently overfilled. The FDA recommended that health professionals use as many full doses as possible “given the public health emergency.” The agency said it is communicating with Pfizer on the matter.
The Trump administration has come under fire from congressional Democrats after news leaked last week about a missed opportunity to get more vaccines.
“We are concerned that the failure to ensure an adequate supply of vaccines will unnecessarily prolong the Covid-19 pandemic in this country, causing further loss of life and economic devastation,” said a group of senators led by Patty Murray of Washington and Ron Wyden of Oregon. wrote HHS.
“We fear this is another case where the failure of the Trump administration to develop a comprehensive national vaccine plan in a timely manner could jeopardize efforts to vaccinate people and ultimately end this pandemic.” Azar tried to rebut that concern Wednesday, saying pending contracts with various manufacturers will guarantee enough vaccines for all Americans by the middle of next year. A second Moderna vaccine appears to be pending approval by the Food and Drug Administration in a few days, and more vaccine candidates are advancing through clinical trials.
But that of Pfizer and the German pharmaceutical company BioNTech was the first to reach the arms of Americans, raising hopes of taming a pandemic that has killed more than 300,000 people in the United States and hampered much of the national economy. Healthcare workers and nursing home residents top the list as local television stations across the country broadcast scenes from the first vaccines. Some surveys show that skepticism about vaccination may be on the wane.
After the first few failures with testing, Trump administration officials hope to write a very different ending with vaccines. Operation Warp Speed has funded the development, manufacturing and distribution of millions of doses, with the goal of providing a free vaccine to any American who wants one.
Pfizer was not as involved with Operation Warp Speed as other manufacturers, preferring to maintain control over its own development and manufacturing. But the government signed a contract to buy 100 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the first of which was shipped this week.
What is at stake is the purchase of another 100 million doses for delivery in the middle of next year.
“We are in active negotiations,” Azar said.
Slaoui, a world-renowned vaccine scientist who is helping lead the federal effort, said the goal from the outset was to have several promising vaccines in development, and for taxpayers to bear the financial risk if a given vaccine failed to achieve approval from the FDA. “We created a portfolio of vaccines to make sure that at least one of them made it to the finish line,” he said.
In the summer, “it wouldn’t make sense to ask a manufacturer for more in advance before you know how a vaccine works.” Although the initial signs were positive for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the full FDA review did not take place until earlier this month.
Slaoui and Azar also said that because of Operation Warp Speed’s relationship with Pfizer, officials had less window on the company’s manufacturing and any potential issues that might arise.
“Of course, we would appreciate having another 100 million doses,” Slaoui said, adding that he hopes the negotiations with Pfizer will be successful.
With at least one other vaccine appearing to be approved, they are already talking about a surplus that could be shipped to the rest of the world.
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