Pfizer set to supply 40M vaccines in WHO effort

Pfizer on Friday committed to supply up to 40 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine this year to a World Health Organizationbacked effort to get affordable shots to poor and middle-income countries.

The deal is a boost to the global program known as COVAX, as wealthy nations have snapped up most of the millions of coming shots.

The commitment, announced at a virtual press conference held by the Geneva-based WHO, is seen as important because Pfizer and its partner BioNTech won the first emergency authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in mid-December. That clearance makes it easier for international health groups and poor nations to quickly OK emergency use.

This week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus criticized drugmakers for seeking profits from the pandemic and mostly supplying wealthy countries.

The 40 million doses — for a vaccine requiring two doses — are a sliver of what’s needed for COVAX, which aims to vaccinate billions of people in 92 low- and middle-income countries.

The program previously secured access to nearly 2 billion doses of vaccines from five other vaccine producers, plus options on a billion doses more.

New York-based Pfizer Inc. had not previously committed to providing its COVID-19 vaccine to poor countries without making a profit during the pandemic, as a couple of rivals have. However, Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech said they would provide their vaccine to COVAX at an undisclosed “not-for-profit price.” The companies still must execute a supply agreement covering distribution.