Feds sign $138 million contract for swift production of syringes for future coronavirus vaccine

The Pentagon and Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday announced a $138 million contract with ApiJect Systems America to create a swift U.S. supply chain for producing pre-filled syringes that can be used to combat the coronavirus epidemic once a COVID-19 vaccine is developed.

The number of pre-filled syringes produced by the end of 2020 will be more than 100 million, while the eventual production objective is more than 500 million in 2021.

NBC News noted that the $138 million is far less than will be required to produce so many syringes. The outlet reported that ApiJect "is in the process of raising a billion dollars in private funding to complete the goal of producing more than 500 million syringes next year."

According to Johns Hopkins University there have been more than 1.3 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. and more than 82,000 deaths.