Pfizer and Moderna executives say they are increasing vaccine supply

Executives from Pfizer and Moderna said companies were increasing their supply of coronavirus vaccines, with shipments expected to double or even triple in the coming weeks, according to congressional testimony released on Monday.

In a statement prepared to make to a House subcommittee on Tuesday, John Young, chief commercial officer of Pfizer, is expected to announce that the company plans to increase its delivery capacity from 4 to 5 million doses per week to more than 13 million by mid-March.

Moderna plans to double its monthly delivery capacity to 40 million doses by April, according to Dr. Stephen Hoge, president of the company. Moderna has so far delivered 45 million doses, according to Hoge’s testimony.

Young attributed the increased supply to Pfizer’s “significant investments” in several manufacturing sites and other improvements.

The United States has passed 500,000 coronavirus deaths and questions about fairness in vaccine distribution persist. The Biden administration said this month it was increasing the supply to low-income communities and people of color who have been hit hard by the virus.

The Food and Drug Administration has cleared the emergency use of the vaccines, which use mRNA and are over 90 percent effective after two doses, last year.