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Nov 11, 2020 - Health

EU purchases 200 million doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine

Shawna Chen
Illustration of a group of doctors examining a giant syringe

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

The European Union struck a deal with Pfizer and BioNTech to buy at least 200 million doses of their coronavirus vaccine in the largest initial order to date, the companies announced Wednesday.

Driving the news: Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced Monday that its coronavirus vaccine trial was effective in preventing COVID-19 infections in 90% of previously uninfected people and did not produce any serious safety concerns.

  • The order is awaiting regulatory approval and deliveries are anticipated to begin by the end of this year.
  • The EU will have the option to request an additional 100 million doses.
  • The U.S. made an initial order of 100 million doses in July, with the option to buy 500 million more.

The big picture: The companies expect to produce up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.

  • They are exploring a possible supply to the COVAX Facility, a global initiative backed by the World Health Organization that will give governments early access to a portfolio of COVID-19 candidate vaccines.
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