White House could promise states additional COVID-19 vaccines doses next week

Federal shipments of COVID-19 vaccines could increase roughly 16% next week, potentially reducing some states’ shortfalls as they have broadened access to adults 65 and older.

The U.S. government plans to increase its weekly allocation to states from 8.6 million doses to approximately 10 million doses.

COVID-19 czar Jeff Zients, informed governors on Tuesday afternoon that vaccine allocations for states would increase by approximately 16% starting next week.

Government authorities ship COVID-19 vaccine doses to 64 jurisdictions spread across the country and eight U.S. territories.

Moderna (NSDQ:MRNA) is likely to provide the supply boost.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) has decided to send the U.S. fewer doses of its vaccine jointly developed with BioNTech (NSDQ:BNTX) after the surprise discovery that its vials contained an extra dose. It negotiated with the U.S. government to count the extra sixth dose in its vials toward its prior commitment to provide 200 million doses.

Both Pfizer and Moderna aim to provide the U.S. with 100 million doses by the end of March.

President Biden is also negotiating with Pfizer and Moderna to obtain an additional 200 million doses, potentially enabling the vaccination of the majority of the U.S. population by summer or autumn.

CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky recently said in an interview with “Fox News Sunday” that the administration had been struggling to ascertain how much vaccine the government possesses but predicted vaccine distribution would expand substantially in March.