US government wants to buy an additional 200 million vaccine doses

display

Washington (AP) - By increasing the national vaccine stocks, the government of the new US President Joe Biden wants to accelerate the pace of corona vaccinations in the country.

Biden announced in Washington on Tuesday (local time) that the United States would buy an additional 200 million vaccine doses - 100 million each from Moderna and Pfizer.

In this way, the US government wants to ensure that enough vaccine doses are available by the end of summer to vaccinate the entire population of the country.

So far, the vaccinations against the corona virus in the USA have not progressed at the hoped-for pace.

Biden said the delivery of the additional vaccine doses is expected by the summer.

This should increase the order volume from 400 to 600 million vaccine doses.

That is enough to vaccinate 300 million Americans by the end of summer or beginning of fall.

The USA has a population of around 330 million.

Two doses of vaccine are required per head.

display

He also promised the US states should get more vaccine doses each week - and more planning ahead.

Recently, several governors from the US had complained that they had received significantly fewer vaccine doses than previously promised.

This messed up their vaccination schedules and caused frustration.

In the future, according to Biden, the states should know three weeks in advance which vaccine quantities they can plan with.

Worldwide, the number of reported corona infections has just passed the 100 million mark.

In absolute terms, the United States is the country hardest hit by the pandemic.

So far, more than 25 million infections with the virus have been registered in the United States.

More than 423,000 people have died from the virus.

Biden has made the fight against the corona pandemic a priority.

With a view of the hundreds of thousands of dead, he spoke again on Tuesday of an exertion like in times of war.

Containing the crisis will take time, he admitted, but promised: "We will get through this."

display

Among other things, the Democrat has declared a goal that at least 100 million vaccine doses should be administered by the end of his first 100 days in office, at the end of April.

According to the US health authority CDC, a good 44 million vaccine doses have been distributed in the country and a good 23 million doses administered.

According to a list of researchers from Oxford University, the USA currently ranks fifth internationally when it comes to the speed of corona vaccinations, converted to population - after Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Great Britain and Bahrain.

Shortly before taking office, Biden had already presented a concept on how he wants to increase the pace of corona vaccinations in the country.

Among other things, the US disaster control agency Fema is supposed to help set up vaccination centers.

Mobile vaccination stations are to be sent to remote areas.

Biden also wants to use the pharmacies in the country to also give vaccinations.

Since he was sworn in as US President last week, Biden has already initiated other things.

During the first few hours in office, he made it mandatory to wear a mask in government buildings, among other places.

The next day, he signed several further orders to advance the fight against the corona crisis.

Among other things, he wants to use his powers as president to accelerate the production of protective masks and gloves, test accessories and materials for administering the vaccines.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210127-99-184779 / 2