According to the Associated Press, the White House has ordered 66 millions doses of Moderna’s next-generation of Covid-19 vaccine that “targets the highly transmissible omicron variant, enough supply this winter for all who want the upgraded booster”.

The updated vaccine reportedly targets both the currently circulating BA.4 and BA.5 sunvariants of Omicron.

AP writes “the order of the bivalent shot follows the announcement last month that the federal government had secured 105 million doses of a similar vaccine from rival drugmaker Pfizer. Both orders are scheduled for delivery in the fall and winter, assuming regulators sign off on their effectiveness. The Pentagon said the Moderna contract was worth $1.74 billion.”

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is quoted by AP saying “We must stay vigilant in our fight against COVID-19 and continue to expand Americans’ access to the best vaccines and treatments. As we look to the fall and winter, we’re doing just that — ensuring Americans have the tools they need to stay safe and help keep our nation moving forward.”

Quoting HHS Assistant Secretary Dawn O’Connell, The Hill writes “We look forward to receiving these new variant-specific vaccines and working with state and local healthcare partners to make the vaccines available for free in communities around the country this fall.”