The United States is getting ready for the future coronavirus vaccine by investing $42 million to aid Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) to increase its production of syringes and needles.
In a press release, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), pledged to provide the budget for a $70 million project to broaden BD's manufacturing operations in Nebraska.
Furthermore, the authority claimed to give priority access to the US government for a plethora of needles and syringes for COVID-19 vaccination efforts. The monetary commitment account followed after researchers from around the world tussle to come up with an effective coronavirus vaccine.
BD also settled that a US government order for 50 million needles and syringes would be delivered by the end of December this year.
According to BD, this order or future orders would not affect their other productions, particularly the annual flu vaccination and childhood immunization campaigns.
The Defense Production Act designation for the order will enable the company to solicit priority access to raw materials for manufacturing.
Rick Byrd, the president of Medication Delivery Solutions for BD said that the company's commitment is its latest effort to address the global pandemic and will help ensure that the US is prepared for future vaccination efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 Grips the US as it hopes for the vaccine to arrive
Recent headlines revealed how, just over the previous 24-hour period, the US obtained the highest spike of 60,021 new COVID-19 cases.
The states of California, Arizona, Florida, and Texas have accounted for nearly half of all new cases in the country in recent days.
Infectious disease expert and the White House health advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has expressed dismay at how the US was doing in its battle against the pandemic. He laments that while many other countries successfully brought down their COVID-19 cases to a manageable level, the US has been unsuccessful in doing the same.
The disease has devastated the United States, infecting more than 3 million people in the country. Johns Hopkins University gathered data revealing the disease has killed more than 130,000 Americans as of Wednesday, July 8.
When Will a Coronavirus Vaccine be Ready?
BARDA, which is a component of the Health and Human Services Office of the assistant secretary for preparedness and response, has contributed more than $3 billion in vaccines.
The authority has also funded more than 30 projects that are a part of "Operation Warp Speed." The operation is designed to boost access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, according to Reuters.
President Trump claimed that the US would "likely" have a therapeutic treatment or vaccine solution long before the year ends. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn refused to predict when a vaccine would be ready in an interview on Sunday, July 5.
Health officials have said a vaccine could be available by January, but have also warned people about the timeline. Scientists caution that the vaccine needs to be effective, which is why meticulous processes need to take place for its development.
