Drug makers associated with the United States government are on track to begin actively manufacturing a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the summer, a senior administration official said Monday.
“If you say exactly when the vaccine materials will literally be in production and manufacturing, it will likely be four to six weeks away, but we will be actively manufacturing in late summer,” said the official, who declined to be identified.
He added that the administration is already working with companies to equip and equip manufacturing facilities and acquire raw materials.
The Trump administration has helped fund the development of four COVID-19 vaccines so far through its Warp Operation Speed Program.
So far, the United States government has awarded grants ranging from several hundred million dollars to more than $ 1 billion to companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Moderna Inc, AstraZeneca Plc and Novovax Inc.
He also signed a $ 450 million contract last month with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc to help him provide therapies for patients who are sick with the virus.
The “list is not closed” for additional financing deals and the administration plans to announce more in the future, the senior administration official said.
The goal is to produce more than 300 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in early 2021, CNBC reported. Although the manufacturing process has already begun, it is unclear which vaccine, if any, will work, a senior Trump administration official said during Monday’s call.
But equipment is already being purchased and manufacturing sites are being secured, he said, and raw materials are being acquired, in some cases.
The Trump White House said last month that the vaccine will be free for anyone who cannot afford it.
Reuters information was used in this report.
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