Amid slowing takeup, White House buys 200 million more vaccine doses

The US government has purchased an additional 200 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by Moderna (Nasdaq: MRNA), in case boosters are needed.

The deal includes the option to purchase other COVID-19 vaccine candidates from Moderna’s pipeline, a key element of future-proofing the country’s vaccination program.

As the novel coronavirus continues to mutate, with increasing numbers of “variants of interest” and “variants of concern” designated by the World Health Organization (WHO), countries are gearing up for the possibility of renewing vaccination efforts later in the year.