Moderna to supply Africa with up to 110 million COVID doses

Moderna on Tuesday said it will make up to 110 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine available to African countries, which local officials called a breakthrough on the world’s least vaccinated continent.

The announcement said Moderna is prepared to deliver the first 15 million doses by the end of this year, with 35 million in the first quarter of 2022 and up to 60 million in the second quarter. It says “all doses are offered at Moderna’s lowest tiered price.”

“It is a great day for us,” the African Union special envoy on COVID-19, Strive Masiyiwa, told reporters, after African nations faced months of frustration over rich countries’ vaccine hoarding and delayed deliveries of doses.

He thanked the United States for essentially allowing African nations to go to the head of the line to buy the Moderna doses. A White House official said the U.S. will defer delivery of about