Apr 26, 2021 - Health

Sanofi to manufacture 200 million Moderna COVID vaccines in U.S.

Rebecca Falconer

Fire department staff draws COVID-19 Moderna vaccine from an ampule into a syringe during the event. — Photo: Ty O'Neil/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Sanofi announced Monday it will manufacture up to 200 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine at its site in Ridgefield, New Jersey, from September.

Why it matters: The agreement between Sanofi and Moderna should not only boost the U.S. coronavirus vaccine rollout, it should also help global efforts as the doses will likely be exported.

Of note: French multinational pharmaceutical giant Sanofi is the only manufacturer that is producing doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson and now Moderna, in addition to developing two of its own coronavirus vaccines.

The big picture: More than 1 billion COVID-19 doses have now been produced. The U.S. has administered the most — 23% of the worldwide total, statistics from Our World in Data show.

The World Health Organization earlier this month criticized a "shocking imbalance" in vaccine distribution, with poorer nations being left behind.
While the U.S. has kept nearly all of its supply for domestic use, it's expected to become a major exporter once its domestic needs are met.

Go deeper: All U.S. adults now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine

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Sanofi to manufacture 200 million Moderna COVID vaccines in U.S.

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