U.S. attempting to secure more Pfizer vaccine doses, as extra doses are found in some vials

Trump administration officials are negotiating to purchase additional doses of Pfizer Inc.'s coronavirus vaccine, following an initial rejection of securing more via contract this summer. The negotiations are transpiring amid the discovery that some vials of the Pfizer vaccine contain extra doses that the FDA has determined may be used.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and Dr. Moncef Slaoui said Wednesday that Pfizer has been unable to commit to a delivery date for additional vaccine doses.

Slaoui is a scientist in the Trump administration's effort to bring a vaccine to distribution, known as Operation Warp Speed.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said earlier this week that his company is working "very collaboratively" with the U.S. government to deliver additional vaccines through Warp Speed.

A group of congressional Democrats questioned the Trump administration's decision not to purchase additional Pfizer vaccine doses this summer, when presented with the opportunity to do so.

Azar on Wednesday said the government has pending contracts with a number of drug manufacturers that are expected to deliver a vaccine in short order and that should have enough doses for all Americans by the middle of 2021.

The Moderna vaccine – developed in conjunction with NIH – appears to be headed for FDA approval in the next several days. 

Dr. Slaoui, a vaccine scientist, said the U.S.'s vaccine securement strategy was sound.

"We built a portfolio of vaccines to ensure one of them at least would make it to the finish line," he said. "It wouldn’t make sense to preorder more from a manufacturer before we knew how a vaccine worked."