(Reuters) – The European Commission said on Wednesday it has reached a deal with drugmakers Pfizer and BioNTech for the supply of an additional four million COVID-19 vaccine doses to be delivered this month.
The doses will be supplied in addition to the planned deliveries, to ease border movement and to tackle virus hotspots, the Commission said.
“Through their targeted use where they are most needed, in particular in border regions, these doses will also help ensure or restore free movement of goods and people,” the president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said.
Pfizer had previously committed to supply a total of 500 million vaccine doses to the European Union by the end of 2021.
(Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong and Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)
