Manufacturers of the COVID-19 vaccine are ramping up production, churning out far more doses a week than at the beginning of the year, progress that is accelerating mass vaccination campaigns in the US.
After a slow start, Pfizer Inc. PFE,
your partner BioNTech SE BNTX,
and Moderna Inc. MRNA,
They have increased production by gaining experience, expanding production lines, and taking other steps, such as making certain raw materials on their own.
Pfizer discovered how to take advantage of the scarce supplies of specialty filters needed for the vaccine production process by recycling them. Moderna shortened the time it took to inspect and package the newly manufactured vials of its vaccine.
The companies, along with Johnson & Johnson JNJ,
which recently released a Covid-19 vaccine, they are also partnering with other companies to further increase production.
Additionally, the US government has helped vaccine manufacturers access supplies under the Defense Production Act, suppliers and government officials say. The Biden administration said this month that it used the law to provide $ 105 million in funding to help Merck & Co. MRK,
make doses of J & J’s COVID-19 vaccine and speed up the materials used in its production.
Monthly US production of the three licensed vaccines is expected to reach 132 million doses by March, nearly triple the 48 million in February, according to estimates by Evercore ISI analysts.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.
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