DoD (Army contracting): ~$11.1B for COVID-19 vaccine production — a contract with Pfizer (USAspending)
The Department of Defense (via Army contracting) awarded a contract for COVID-19 vaccine production to Pfizer. The value is about $11.1 billion ($11,110,134,066) — a case where the DoD's procurement capacity was used for the pandemic response, showing that defense is not only about weapons.
Contract key facts
- RecipientPfizer
- Contract value$11,110,134,066 (≈$11.11B)
- BranchArmy
- Awarding agencyDepartment of Defense
- Awarding sub-agencyDepartment of the Army
- Award typeDEFINITIVE CONTRACT
- Period of performance2020-12-22 〜 2023-06-30
- Contract ID (PIID)W15QKN21C0012
Contract scope (original)
COVID-19 VACCINE PRODUCTION
Key points
- The DoD (via Army contracting) ordered COVID-19 vaccine production
- Recipient Pfizer, ~$11.1B ($11,110,134,066), December 2020–June 2023 (multi-year cumulative)
- The DoD's procurement capacity (e.g., Army Contracting Command) was used for the pandemic response
- Government spending extends beyond weapons to health and public health
- Alongside the oral antiviral (Paxlovid) contract, a large medical-supply procurement
- Pandemic contracts placed through the Army cover vaccine production, an oral antiviral, an antibody therapeutic and an adult vaccine.
1A COVID-19 vaccine production contract
This contract covers COVID-19 vaccine production, run through the Department of the Army's contracting function.
2Pandemic response run through the Defense Department
What it shows is that DoD procurement extends beyond weapons to public-health domains such as the pandemic response. During the COVID-19 outbreak, the DoD's procurement capacity — such as the Army Contracting Command — was widely used for large-scale, rapid procurement of vaccines and therapeutics.
Alongside the oral antiviral (Paxlovid) contract already featured on this site, it shows that large medical-supply procurements appear within defense-spending data.
3Government spending beyond weapons
This contract illustrates how government spending extends beyond "defense = weapons" to health and public health.
4Pandemic contracts placed through the Army
Department of Defense procurement is not only weapons. Among the Department of Defense contracts this site holds as of 2026-09-01 sit large pandemic-response awards with the Army as the awarding office.
| Recipient | Subject | Obligated |
|---|---|---|
| Pfizer (this award) | Vaccine production | about $11.1 billion |
| Pfizer | Oral antiviral, 10 million treatment courses | about $12.5 billion |
| Moderna | mRNA vaccine | about $8.2 billion |
| Regeneron | Antibody therapeutic, up to 1.25 million doses | about $5.6 billion |
| Pfizer | Adult vaccine | about $4.0 billion |
During COVID-19 the procurement capacity of the Department of Defense, including Army Contracting Command, was widely used for the rapid, large-scale purchase of vaccines and therapeutics. Prevention and treatment alike, across several companies, all appear within defence spending data — a group of records showing government spending reaching past weapons into medicine and public health.
Why it matters
A case where the DoD's procurement function was used for large medical-supply procurement in the pandemic response. For readers in healthcare, pharma, and public health, or following government procurement, a useful read on the breadth of "defense spending."
FAQ
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Sources (primary)
This article is an independent organization based on the U.S. official spending data below. Verify the exact, latest details with the official source.
- USAspending (award details)
- Contract ID (PIID)：W15QKN21C0012