Biden administration buying more vaccine doses for kids and possible boosters

The federal government is exercising a clause in its contract with Pfizer to buy 200 million more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, including for children under 12 if and when the Food and Drug Administration gives the green light and to prepare for the possibility of booster shots, according to an administration official familiar with the contract. 

"Here's the bottom line — we've always prepared for every scenario," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday, confirming the purchase.  The doses will be delivered between fall 2021 and spring 2022, as President Joe Biden says the vaccine will likely be available for young children "soon," and as experts study whether a booster shot might be necessary for fully vaccinated individuals in the future. As a part of the agreement, the official said Pfizer will give the U.S. 65 million pediatric doses if the vaccine is approved for emergency use in children under 12, making doses available immediately in the event of authorization.