Health-care companies rallied after Pfizer received a massive vaccine order from the U.S. government.

The U.S. has agreed to pay Pfizer and BioNTech nearly $2 billion to secure 100 million doses of their experimental Covid-19 vaccine, should it be approved by drug regulators, to provide to Americans free of charge.

HCA Healthcare, one of the nation's largest hospital chains, said its profit rose on federal relief aid aimed at helping businesses navigate the coronavirus pandemic and due to the resumption of some hospital procedures.

Late in the quarter, patients who had stayed away from hospitals because of Covid-19 risks, returned for elective procedures.

Write to Rob Curran at rob.curran@dowjones.com