US government's WWII mobilization on penicillin is a road map to fighting the coronavirus Penicillin manufacturing in World War II shows that to have enough medical equipment and save the most lives, the US government needs to take the lead. The history of penicillin manufacturing during World War II teaches an important lesson: If we hope to address the shortage of lifesaving medical equipment, and if we want to make sure available equipment is distributed in a manner that saves the greatest number of lives, the U.S. government needs to take the lead.