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The Biden administration will allocate billions of dollars to support manufacturers in the United States and expand their capacity to supply vaccines to the global community, according to The Washington Post (subscription).

The goal: The White House plans to produce at least 1 billion doses of mRNA vaccines per year, at a pace of more than 100 million doses per month. The funds will help pharmaceutical companies prepare their facilities, equipment and staff for the task. In addition to helping the United States and the world weather the COVID-19 pandemic, the expanded capacity is intended to help prepare for and prevent future pandemics as well.

The money: According to the Biden administration’s chief science officer, the funds needed for the investment have already been allocated from the American Rescue Plan—the $1.9 trillion bill signed into law by President Biden in March. 

The bottom line: This action represents a significant partnership between pharmaceutical companies and government agencies to bolster the nation’s mRNA vaccine production capacity and demonstrates the importance of manufacturers to the overall effort. 

In related news: All U.S. adults may be able to begin receiving their booster shots by this weekend nationwide, according to USA Today.