Executives at Pfizer and Moderna said the companies are increasing their supply of coronavirus vaccines, with shipments expected to double and possibly triple in the coming weeks, according to Congressional testimony released on Monday.
In a statement prepared to be made before a House subcommittee on Tuesday, John Young, business director at Pfizer, must say that the company plans to increase its delivery capacity from 4 million to 5 million doses per week to more than 13 million in mid-March.
Moderna expects to double its monthly delivery capacity to 40 million doses by April, according to Dr. Stephen Hoge, the company’s president. Moderna has already distributed 45 million doses, says Hoge’s testimony.
Young attributed the increased supply to “significant investments” that Pfizer made in several plants and other improvements.
The US has surpassed 500,000 deaths from coronavirus and doubts remain about equity in vaccine distribution. The Biden government said this month that it is increasing supplies to low-income communities and people of color who have been hit hard by the virus.
The Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of vaccines, which use mRNA and are more than 90% effective after two doses, last year.