US plans to increase COVID vaccine production to tackle pandemic, future threats

In a significant development, the United States administration on Wednesday announced its plan to spend billions of dollars to increase the COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing capacity, according to AP. Speaking at the press briefing, Jeff Zients said that the plan was aimed at expanding the existing capacity of vaccines by more than 1 billion vaccine doses per year, with production beginning in the second half of 2022. The plan is part of the administration’s effort to boost vaccines available for the world population. 

The decision of the US administration comes at a time when Biden has been facing pressure to do more towards the global vaccine supply. Speaking at the press briefing on Wednesday, 17 November, White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients described the plan as a “major step” to increase coronavirus vaccine manufacturing and prepare for future pandemics and provide mRNA vaccines for the world. Furthermore, he called on the companies that have experience in manufacturing mRNA vaccines to find ways to increase the vaccine production capacity.

“Today, we’re taking another major step to bolster vaccine manufacturing both for this pandemic and to prepare for any future threats,” said Jeff Zients at the press briefing.

“HHS is soliciting interest from companies that have experience manufacturing mRNA vaccines to identify opportunities to scale up their production capacity.  Importantly, initial production could provide more mRNA COVID vaccines for the world,” Jeff Zients added.

US plans to boost COVID-19 vaccine capacity

Informing about the program, White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients highlighted that the program would help in manufacturing vaccine doses within six to nine months of identification of future pathogens and adequate vaccines for Americans. He further stated that the program aims to increase the existing capacity of vaccines by more than 1 billion doses per year. Furthermore, he underscored that the plan would bring together the US government's experience in basic scientific research with the ability of pharmaceutical companies to produce mRNA vaccines.

Speaking at the press briefing, Zients announced that the US has shipped 250 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 110 countries, the most by any nation. Earlier this year, US President Joe Biden had pledged to donate 1.2 billion vaccine doses to the world in combatting COVID-19 in the US and across the world.   

“The goal of this program is to expand existing capacity by an additional billion doses per year, with production starting by the second half of 2022,” White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients said at the press briefing.

(Inputs from AP)

(Image: AP/Unsplash)