U.S. pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna said it will supply the second batch of 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the United States by the end of May, instead of the original delivery date of June, a company press release stated Tuesday. The delivery date for a third batch also has been moved forward by two months to late July from late September. Moderna said the change is a sign of its commitment to increased production in order to meet its supply target. FILE – A vial of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is seen at an ambulance company in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., Jan. 9, 2021.So far, more than 45 million doses have been supplied to the United States, according to the release, which said more than 33 million doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine have been filled in vials and are at various stages of final production and testing. Overall, the U.S. has distributed upwards of 70 million doses of vaccine. And of that number, more than 52 million doses have been administered, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Moderna said even though it is experiencing short-term delays in the final stages of production and release of filled vials, delivery targets should not be affected.In order to meet its new supply target, Moderna says it plans to release vials as they are produced instead of stockpiling as it doubles monthly doses to the United States. On average, it expects to deliver up to 35 million doses per month in February and March, and up to 50 million doses a month from April through the end of July. The U.S. government is contracted to buy a total of 300 million doses of the two-dose-per-person Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
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