US drugs and vaccines maker Moderna has signed a memorandum of understanding with Kenya’s government for its first mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility in Africa. The company said in a statement that its goal is to produce up to 500 million doses of vaccines a year for the continent – with a focus on drug substance manufacturing, though the facility could be expanded to include fill-and-finish work. Meanwhile, Moderna is also working on plans to allow it to fill doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in Africa as early as 2023, subject to demand. Africa, currently the least-vaccinated region in the world against the coronavirus – relies on imports for about 99 percent of its vaccine needs.