U.S. buys additional 200 million doses of Pfizer vaccine

Why it matters: The Biden administration is continuing to expand its arsenal of vaccine doses as it seeks to help vaccinate the world and potentially deliver booster shots to U.S. citizens if it becomes necessary.

The U.S. has now purchased 500 million of the 600 million possible doses negotiated between the Trump administration and Pfizer and BioNtech in July 2020.

The purchase is separate from an agreement announced last month for Pfizer and BioNTech to provide the U.S. with 500 million vaccine doses to help vaccinate the world’s poorest countries.