Pfizer injection
Pfizer injectionFlash 90

The United States will purchase 200 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses from Pfizer and BioNTech and has an option to buy additional doses to address virus variants, the companies announced Friday, according to AFP.

The additional 200 million doses are expected to be delivered from October 2021 through April 2022, bringing the total supplied by the companies to the US government to 500 million.

The US government "also has an option to acquire an updated version of the vaccine to address potential variants, as well as new formulations of the vaccine, if available and authorized," the companies said in a press release.

Pfizer and BioNTech said earlier this month that they would seek regulatory authorization for a third dose of their COVID-19 vaccine.

US health officials reacted cautiously to the prospect of additional doses, saying "Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time."

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious diseases expert, later said “it is entirely conceivable, maybe likely” that Americans will need a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming months, but also stressed that it is too soon for the government to recommend another shot.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)