Executives with Pfizer and Moderna said the companies are ramping up their supply of Covid-19 vaccines, with shipments expected to double and possibly triple in size in the coming weeks, according to Congressional testimony released Monday.
In a prepared statement to be made before a House subcommittee scheduled for Tuesday, John Young, Pfizer’s chief business officer, is expected to say the company plans to increase its delivery capacity of between 4 million and 5 million doses per week to more than 13 million by mid-March.
Moderna expects to double its monthly delivery capacity by April to 40 million doses, according to Dr. Stephen Hoge, the company’s president. Moderna has so far delivered 45 million doses total, Hoge’s testimony says.
Young attributed the increased supply to “significant investments” Pfizer made to several manufacturing sites and other improvements.
Monday’s announcements came as the United States surpassed 500,000 coronavirus deaths and as questions of equity in vaccine distribution persist. Earlier this month, the Biden administration said it was ramping up supplies to low-income communities and people of color who have been hit hard by the virus.
The Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of the vaccines, which use mRNA and are more than 90 percent effective after two doses, last year.