Supply issues hampering Pfizer providing additional vaccine faster

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Wed, 2020-12-16 17:53 — mike kraft

Supply issues hampering Pfizer providing additional vaccine faster Vaccine supply constraints are complicating the Trump administration's hopes of striking a deal with Pfizer to purchase another 100 million doses of the company's coronavirus vaccines, the latest hurdle to ramping up vaccine production as the virus rapidly spreads. Ellie Kaufman and Sara Murray, CNN CNN

(CNN) Vaccine supply constraints are complicating the Trump administration's hopes of striking a deal with Pfizer to purchase another 100 million doses of the company's coronavirus vaccines, the latest hurdle to ramping up vaccine production as the virus rapidly spreads.

Officials from the Trump administration and Pfizer confirmed that the two sides are negotiating for the government to purchase the additional doses for distribution between April and June 2021. But the timing has been a sticking point, as the US clamors for delivery as soon as possible while Pfizer juggles global demand.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Wednesday that a complicating factor in the negotiations is that Pfizer is having some supply chain issues that will make it more challenging for the company to produce 100 million more doses in the spring. The federal government is negotiating with Pfizer to see how it can help with those manufacturing issues in order to get the additional 100 million doses, he said.

"We are engaged in active discussions with Pfizer about exercising options under our contract," Azar said during an Operation Warp Speed news briefing. "We've been working with them on what assistance is appropriate for us to provide in order for us to secure additional doses."

Options on the table include using the Defense Production Act to accelerate production of some of the raw materials Pfizer needs to develop the vaccine, Azar said in an interview with CNBC's Shepard Smith on Tuesday.

"They are more secretive with us about their manufacturing capacities, their needs. So we can't know they have a raw material problem until they tell us they have a raw material problem," Azar said on CNBC. "And at that point, I can assure you, as the President has, we will use every power of the United States government to ensure they have what they need to fulfill the contracts that we need for the United States people."

During Wednesday's briefing, Azar suggested that Pfizer -- which did not receive Operation Warp Speed funding for the development of its vaccine -- had not been as forthcoming about manufacturing issues and the production process as other Operation Warp Speed vaccine partner companies like Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca. ...

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