New Contract Allows EU to Buy up to 160 Million Doses of Moderna’s Vaccine

The European Union has struck a deal for up to 160 million doses of U.S. firm Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, the head of the European Commission said on Tuesday (24 November), taking the EU’s potential stock of COVID-19 shots to nearly 2 billion.

“I am happy to announce that tomorrow we will approve a new contract to secure another COVID-19 vaccine,” Ursula von der Leyen said, adding the deal “allows us to buy up to 160 million doses of a vaccine produced by Moderna.”

Actual purchases will be carried out by EU governments if the vaccine is approved by the EU’s drug regulator.

The delivery timeline is unknown. The doses would be enough to vaccinate 80 million people as the vaccine is expected to be administered in two doses.

The terms of the contract have not been disclosed.

An EU official involved in the talks told Reuters last week the EU was seeking a price below $25 per dose for Moderna’s vaccine.

But Moderna Chief Executive Stephane Bancel said the company would charge governments between $25 and $37 per dose, depending on the amount ordered.

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