Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
A healthcare volunteer primes a syringe with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Image Credit: AP

Brussels: The European Union has bought up to 300 million extra COVID-19 vaccine doses from US firm Moderna, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.

The new deal, which she hailed as "good news", adds to the EU's vaccine stock as it strives to ramp up inoculations to meet a target of fully vaccinating 70 per cent of adults by mid-September.