The Biden administration is negotiating with Pfizer Inc. to buy an additional 500 million Covid-19 vaccines to donate globally, a person familiar with the matter said, doubling the government’s commitment to helping less-wealthy countries.
A deal is expected to be announced in the coming days, ahead of an international Covid summit Biden has called for on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information isn’t yet public.
The Biden administration struck a nearly identical agreement with the company in August, and Pfizer has been shipping those doses to the international vaccine program Covax. The program has been slow to get doses to participant countries, leaving many less-wealthy nations having vaccinated only a tiny percentage of their populations.
“The president has been clear that we will do more and more to help lead the world in getting the world vaccinated,” Jeff Zients, the White House Covid response coordinator, said Sept. 17.
The New York Times reported details of the agreement earlier.
While the donations are an important diplomatic gesture by the US, broad vaccination of the global population would also help reduce the chances of mutations that could escape the vaccines protecting Americans.
A large donation would also help deflect criticism that the US is hoarding vaccines to give its citizens booster shots while some lower-income parts of the world wait to be inoculated. A Food and Drug Administration decision on whether to clear booster shots for use could happen within days, after an outside panel of experts recommended the FDA authorize vaccines for people 65 and above, and those at high risk.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who survived a recall election partly on his handling of the pandemic, tweeted on Saturday that California now has the lowest infection rate among US states.
The most populous US state had rate of 113 cases per 100,000 people, over the last seven days, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The next closest state was Connecticut, almost 126 cases per 100,000. Florida had 353 per 100,000, CDC data show.
He also said that California had crossed the milestone of administering at least one dose to 70% of the population.
“Vaccines are how we end this pandemic,” he tweeted.
Meanwhile, more than 650,000 white flags are being placed on the National Mall in Washington this month in a reminder of the lives the US has lost to Covid-19.
The installation by artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg, called “In America: Remember,” is on display through Oct. 3. People can write in to dedicate a flag to the memory of someone they lost to Covid, Firstenberg said on Twitter.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, whose department oversees the Mall, said the project expresses “our collective loss.”
Key developments:
Singapore cases surge to 2020 lockdown levels
Singapore added 1,009 cases on Saturday, the most since April 2020, when the city-state imposed a lockdown. The bulk of the cases were infections within the local community, with five detected in those arriving from overseas.
A total of 863 people were hospitalized, and 18 in ICU, the Health Ministry said.
It also announced its 60th death — an unvaccinated 90-year-old man who had a history of cancer, heart disease and pneumonia. A total of 82% of the population have been fully vaccinated and it’s starting to offer booster shots to those over 60, as well as immunocompromised patients.
Hong Kong vaccine bookings at record low
Bookings for vaccinations in Hong Kong hit the lowest on Saturday since the city started its inoculation program in February. The number of people making reservations for shots of vaccines produced by Sinovac Biotech Ltd. and BioNTech SE fell to 700 and 3,200, respectively, from 2,200 and 8,000 four weeks ago.
With only 54% of its population fully vaccinated, the city is far from being able to reopen its economy and society. Hong Kong won’t consider shifting its zero-tolerance Covid-19 strategy to one of “living with the virus” until the vaccination rate is 80% to 90%, according to a top virus adviser to the government.
Brazil adds 92,614 backlogged cases
Brazil reported 150,106 new Covid cases on Saturday, which included 92,614 previously unreported infections. The Health Ministry provided no details except to say the backlogged cases were from Rio de Janeiro state, going back to 2020.
The number, the highest one-day tally on record, pushed total infections to 21,230,325, the ministry reported. Deaths rose by 935 in the last 24 hours, totaling 590,508.
With the previously unreported cases, the daily count of roughly 60,000 is far higher than the seven-day average of about 15,000. The ministry did not explain why the number of infections still appeared to spike.
UK told to block vaccine data to EU
Jonathan Van-Tam, UK’s deputy chief medical officer, asked ministers to hold onto all clinical trial data from the EU if countries continue to deny entry for UK vaccine trial volunteers, The Guardian reported, without citing where it obtained the information.
UK officials have spoken to EU leaders about recognizing trial vaccines and a secondary option would be for volunteers to get a vaccine approved by the NHS, the Guardian said. “We are clear that volunteers in formally approved Covid-19 vaccine trials in the UK should not be disadvantaged in relation to vaccine certification policies, and we are committed to taking action on this issue, including reviewing guidance on additional vaccination for this group,” a UK government spokesman told The Guardian.
Russia cases surge
Russia reported more than 20,000 new cases in the past day for the first time since Aug. 22 as the country holds tightly controlled parliamentary elections. The daily death toll rose to 799. Health authorities are warning of a “fourth wave” in Moscow, where new cases have climbed for the past five days. President Vladimir Putin is self-isolating for at least a week after dozens of people working close to him tested positive.
Europe looks to vaccinate children: La Repubblica
The European Medicines Agency will evaluate the possibility of giving Covid-19 vaccines to children aged 6 to 11 in November, Marco Cavaleri, head of biological health threats and vaccines strategy at the agency, said in an interview with La Repubblica on Saturday.
“Pfizer will send us some data at the beginning of October, Moderna should follow early November. Our evaluation will take three to four weeks,” Cavaleri told the Italian daily.
India may restart vaccine exports: Mint
India may resume exporting Covid-19 vaccines by the year-end as its stocks are nearing levels that can meet its own immunization drive, the Mint newspaper reported, citing Adar Poonawalla, chief executive officer of vaccine maker Serum Institute of India Ltd.
“The export restrictions were there temporarily to take care of our nation. In the next month or two, we expect it will ease,” Poonawalla said in an interview, adding that the decision on overseas sales remains with the Indian government.