US to Invest $3B in Vaccine Supply Chain

White House says funding will help increase availability of vaccinations
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 2, 2021 6:20 PM CDT
US to Invest $3B in Vaccine Supply Chain
A woman waits in the holding area Saturday after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic set up in the parking lot of CalOptima in Orange, Calif.   (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

In an attempt to increase the availability of coronavirus vaccines, the Biden administration announced Thursday a $3 billion investment in the supply chain. The money will help manufacturers add production lines and create jobs, said Jeff Zients, White House coronavirus response coordinator. Past supply chain funding has bought vaccine manufacturing equipment and supplies, the Hill reports, which the White House says has sped up production. The investment also is being made with an eye toward keeping President Biden's plan for the US to be the "arsenal of vaccines for the world," per the Washington Post.

The US has sent 130 million vaccine doses to 90 countries, officials said, and has promised a total of more than 600 million. The new money will go to US companies that are to be selected in the next few weeks. Zients said the emphasis will be on lipids, bioreactor bags, tubing, needles, syringes, and personal protective equipment, per Reuters. "We're doing everything in our power to ensure everyone, both here at home and around the world, has access to vaccines," Zients said, "because more vaccinations are how we end this pandemic." (Millions of doses have been wasted.)

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