EU books 150 million extra Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for 2021, option for more in 2022

FILE PHOTO: A Moderna coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine vial is pictured at St. Mary's Hospital, in Phoenix Park in Dublin, Ireland, February 14, 2021. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Wednesday it had struck a deal for an extra 150 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine this year, nearly doubling the number of shots secured from the U.S. biotech firm for 2021.

Under the deal, which confirms what Reuters exclusively reported on Monday, the European Union also has the option to buy another 150 million doses next year.