HHS to purchase Moderna omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine booster

The Department of Health and Human Services has agreed to purchase 66 million doses of Moderna’s omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine booster for use this fall if authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HHS similarly agreed to purchase at least 105 million doses of Pfizer’s omicron-specific vaccine last month. Both the Moderna and Pfizer agreements include the option to purchase up to 300 million doses from each company, which would require additional funding from Congress.