Britain has signed deals to procure 90 million doses of 2 possible COVID-19 vaccines in the Pfizer Inc and BioNTech alliance and French group Valneva, the company ministry said on Monday.

Britain had procured 30 million doses of the experimental BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, and a deal in principle for 60 million doses of this Valneva vaccine, using an alternative of 40 million more doses if it had been demonstrated to be secure, effective and suitable, the ministry said.

Financial terms of the deals were not confirmed.

"This new venture with some of the world's leading pharmaceutical and vaccine companies ensure the UK has the best chance possible of securing a vaccine which protects those most at risk," business minister Alok Sharma said.

<span style="color: #ff6600;"><a style="color: #ff6600;" href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/britain-signs-deals-with-pfizer-biontech-valneva-for-covid-19-vaccines-5570261.html">The deals follow a previously announced agreement with AstraZeneca for the company to produce 100 million doses of its potential vaccine being developed in partnership with the University of Oxford.</a></span>

There's presently no functioning bacterium from COVID-19, the disorder caused by the novel coronavirus, and specialists say one will be necessary to control the outbreak that has infected millions of individuals around the world and killed over 600,000.

Britain also said on Monday it had procured treatments containing COVID-19-neutralising antibodies from AstraZeneca to protect individuals who can't be vaccinated.