BioNTech, the German biotechnology firm that partnered with Pfizer to produce one of the two COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use in the United States, is upping its 2021 vaccine delivery target to 2 billion doses, the company announced Monday.
Previously, the goal was to distribute 1.3 billion doses, but the use of a special syringe that allows six doses, rather than five, to be extracted from a standard vaccine vial was a driving force in raising the bar, Reuters reports. A new production site in Marburg, Germany, will become operational at the end of February and additional capacity by contractors supplying ingredients and filling the finished substance into vials will contribute to the new distribution goal. Read more at Reuters.