The partnership will also create more than 150 jobs and “future-proof” the UK against potential pandemics, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said.
Plans for the centre were initially unveiled earlier this year when a government spokesperson said Moderna would make a minimum R&D investment of £1.1bn.
The centre, which will be able to produce up to 250 million vaccines a year, will see the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) working with Moderna to ensure early vaccine development, supporting the G7 mission to get from variant to vaccine in 100 days.
The centre will offer NHS patients access to Moderna’s Covid vaccines that can protect against multiple variants. It will also have the potential to develop vaccines targeting a range of other illnesses, such as flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Developing vaccines on UK shores means it will be able to scale up production rapidly in the event of a health emergency, DHSC said.
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