According to Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines unit of Sanofi-Aventis, it has been able to produce more vaccine then it had originally projected in response to customer demand. The company will continue to produce approximately 3-4 million more doses this year for delivery in December. The company began shipping vaccine in August.
The company has utilized a multi-phased delivery process that resulted in all customers receiving a partial delivery of their orders by September. Although this shipping process is more time consuming and costly for sanofi pasteur, the company has continued it because this policy has been recognized as key to facilitating the immunization of priority patients early in the season.
Sanofi has also begun construction on a new influenza vaccine production facility in Pennsylvania that is expected to come online for the 2008-2009 influenza season.