COVID-19: US removes DPA ratings on AstraZeneca, Novavax, Sanofi vaccines

Washington DC: Confident of the availability of Covid-19 vaccines in the country, the Biden Administration has removed Defense Production Act priority ratings on AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi vaccines, a top US official said.

The move would let companies take their own decision on whom they want to sell their vaccines.

We have secured enough vaccine supply for all Americans. This is a direct result of the president taking aggressive action, including through the use of the Defense Production Act, to mobilise the full force of US vaccine manufacturing and production, White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters during a virtual news conference.

Because of those actions and the success of US vaccine manufacturers, we are confident in our supply of our authorised vaccines. As a result, we're removing the DPA priority ratings for AstraZeneca, Novavax, and Sanofi.

While the manufacturers will continue to make these three vaccines, this action will allow US-based companies that supply these vaccine manufacturers to make their own decisions on which orders to fulfill first, Zients said.

The official said President Biden has committed that the US will be an arsenal for vaccines. America's work on vaccine supply is guided by a three part approach, he added.

First, having successfully secured enough supply of vaccine for Americans, we are donating surplus US vaccine supply and encouraging other countries with surplus supplies to do the same.