Facemasks and other PPE are perishable. Also, many were used in 2009, and the stocks have not substantially replenished in more than a decade.
Planet Money did a great episode recently on how the US government is currently paying for a year-round supply of chicken eggs to produce vaccine for a pandemic flu. (https://www.npr.org/transcripts/812943907).
I understand this situation is different from eggs, as an egg not used for a vaccine can be converted to feed, but in the end it's all about money. It's like an insurance policy. I pay for auto insurance but don't use it until I really need it.