U.S. makes deal for 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccine, deaths expected to rise

U.S. President Donald Trump turns away from reporters and walks to the Marine One helicopter while departing for a trip to Florida from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., July 31, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

(Reuters) - Two major drug companies will supply the U.S. government with 100 million doses of an experimental coronavirus vaccine, the Trump administration said on Friday, as the nation's top health agency predicted that fatalities would rise in the coming weeks.

The agreement calls for the U.S. government to pay French drug maker Sanofi and British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline up to $2.1 billion to supply it with enough vaccines for 50 million people, with the option to buy another 500 million doses.