Drug firm AstraZeneca doubles coronavirus vaccine manufacturing capacity

Drugmaker AstraZeneca has doubled manufacturing capacity for its potential coronavirus vaccine to two billion doses in a handful of deals involving Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates that guarantee early supply to lower income countries.

The deals with epidemic response group CEPI and vaccine alliance GAVI are backed by the World Health Organisation and aim to quell concerns that the company was committing all initial supplies of the vaccine to the developed world.