BioNTech and Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) are reportedly close to reaching an agreement with the European Union to extend Covid-19 vaccine deliveries until 2024, slowing deliveries amid a glut of shots in the bloc.
A contract has been signed for up to 1.8bn doses of the messenger RNA (mRNA) shot, including variant-adapted vaccines, in 2022 and 2023.
Under the new plan, which has the support of the European Commission and the drug companies, deliveries of doses would continue until 2024, but member states would still have the option of ordering more next year, according to reports.
Similar moves have already been made by the drugmakers, shifting some delivery dates from early this year to later in 2022.
In Europe, mRNA shots are only recommended for second boosters. A deal with Moderna, another mRNA manufacturer, is also set to expire later this year.
Moderna said last month that some deliveries from that contract could be delayed to early 2023, though people familiar with the EU's procurement plans said told the Financial Times it is "more likely" that a new contract will be negotiated with the company.
The push-back to deliveries underscores the dramatic change in supply from last year, when nations suffered from vaccine shortages.
In recent years, governments have eased restrictions and largely abandoned the idea of mandatory mass vaccinations, resulting in a glut of shots.
The emergence of highly transmissible Omicron strains and sub-variants has also diminished the efficacy of existing vaccines against transmission and milder diseases.