US to produce 600 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines

President Donald Trump announced a $1.5 billion contract with US biotech company Moderna for 100 million doses of an eventual coronavirus vaccine, the sixth such deal reached since May, Report says.

"I'm pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Moderna to manufacture and deliver 100 million doses of their coronavirus vaccine candidate," Trump said at a White House news conference. "The federal government will own these vaccine doses, and we're buying them."

"We're on track to rapidly-produce 100 million doses as soon as the vaccine is approved, and up to 500 million shortly after that, so we'll have 600 million doses."

In partnership with the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Moderna is conducting Phase 3 clinical trials of a vaccine candidate and manufacturing of vaccine doses while the tests are underway.