Merck is expanding their production in Virginia

Merck has expanded its manufacturing facility in Elkton, Virginia. The purpose of this expansion is to increase their HPV vaccine supply. Moreover, the expansion project is likely to add around 150 new jobs at Merck.

Increased supply of HPV vaccine

Merck has expanded its vaccines manufacturing facility located in Elkton, Virginia to increase its supply of HPV vaccines. The facility is comprising of 120,000 square feet. The upgrade will support the company’s human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil 9 after getting review and approval from regulators. “As we continue to increase production of our HPV vaccines, we are prioritizing access in countries with a high burden of disease, including countries eligible for support from Gavi and UNICEF. “As we continue to increase production of our HPV vaccines, we are prioritizing access in countries with a high burden of disease, including countries eligible for support from Gavi and UNICEF.” Priya Agrawal, global lead for HPV Vaccines at Merck said in a statement.

Merck committed more than $1 billion to expand their production capacity at their existing manufacturing facility. It included their plans of building new facilities to address the global demand for HPV vaccines. The company managed to double their vaccine supply from 2017-2020. In addition, they are anticipating to double its supply further between 2020-2023.

Job opportunities at the new facility

The new facility is now complete and it will also pave way for multiple job opportunities at Merck. According to initial estimates the current expansion project is likely to add more than 150 new jobs in Elkton, Virginia. “Increasing supply of our HPV vaccines is a top priority, and over the last several years we have steadily increased our manufacturing capacity in response to growing global demand. Despite the pandemic, our teams have completed the building infrastructure expansion at our Elkton site ahead of schedule and we are excited to reach this important milestone.”. Jacks Lee, senior vice president at Merck Manufacturing said in a press release.

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