WHAT IS THIS?

This contract pays Emergent Product Development Gaithersburg Inc. to produce and supply ACAM2000, a live smallpox vaccine, for the U.S. government. The company will manufacture and maintain a stockpile of this vaccine over a period of roughly seven years.

WHY WAS THIS FUNDED?

This award falls under the Strategic National Stockpile program, which allows the federal government to purchase and store medical supplies and vaccines needed to respond to public health emergencies or bioterrorism threats. The HHS (Department of Health and Human Services) is authorized by law to prepare the nation for potential biological threats, including smallpox.

WHAT PUBLIC PROBLEM IS IT TRYING TO SOLVE?

Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980, but the virus still exists in secure laboratory storage, and there is concern it could be used as a biological weapon. The government maintains a vaccine stockpile so the country can respond quickly if an outbreak ever occurs.

WHO BENEFITS?

All Americans benefit indirectly by having a ready supply of smallpox vaccine available in a national emergency. Workers at Emergent Product Development also benefit through jobs tied to manufacturing and maintaining this vaccine supply.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

Because the contract type is listed as unknown, it is harder to assess how costs are controlled and whether the government is protected if prices rise or production falls short. Maintaining a large stockpile of a vaccine for a disease that does not currently circulate also raises questions about whether the money is being spent efficiently over time.

WHAT HAPPENS IF FUNDING IS REMOVED?

If this contract were cancelled, the U.S. government would likely lose its reliable source of new smallpox vaccine doses, potentially leaving the national stockpile to age and become less effective. This could reduce the country's ability to respond quickly to a smallpox outbreak or bioterrorism event.

ARGUMENTS FOR

• •Smallpox could be weaponized by bad actors, and having a ready vaccine stockpile is a critical layer of national defense and public health preparedness.
• •Most Americans born after 1972 were never vaccinated against smallpox, meaning the population is largely unprotected and a stockpile is the only buffer in a crisis.
• •Maintaining a domestic manufacturing relationship ensures the U.S. does not have to rely on foreign suppliers during an emergency when speed and reliability are essential.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST

• •Smallpox has been eradicated for decades, so spending over $857 million on a vaccine for a disease that does not exist in the wild may not be the best use of limited public health funds.
• •The contract type is listed as unknown, which makes it difficult for the public or oversight bodies to evaluate whether taxpayer money is being spent responsibly.
• •Concentrating such a large contract with a single company creates dependency on one supplier, which could be a vulnerability if that company faces production problems or financial trouble.