Johnson & Johnson expects to fall far short of its commitment to 10 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine by the end of February, with less than 4 million ready for shipment following hoped-for emergency use approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
Johnson & Johnson’s disclosure of the deficit is the first public measure of exactly how far the pharmaceutical company is lagging behind its manufacturing goals. Johnson & Johnson promised to deliver an additional 25 million by the end of March.
“We will have 20 million doses of the vaccine available by the end of March, and we are ready to ship nearly 4 million doses of our vaccine immediately after emergency approval,” says Dr. Richard Nettles, Johnson & Johnson Subsidiary Janssen’s vice president of medical affairs told a House Energy & Commerce Committee hearing Tuesday.
He said the company “remains confident in our plans to deliver 100 million” doses by the end of June.
As a single-dose vaccine that can be stored at standard refrigerator temperatures for three months, the Johnson & Johnson candidate was heralded as a significant advance in the US vaccination effort, despite slightly lower efficacy, compared to two vaccines. doses produced by Pfizer and Moderna.
“It’s a really easy vaccine to ship and administer; it doesn’t have all these complicated requirements, especially like Pfizer, which is a much more delicate vaccine. A single dose, you get it, you’re done. This is it vaccine I want, ”said Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
While the vaccine is logistically simpler, states may face hurdles in deciding which sites to prioritize for the firmer doses or how to deal with residents hoping to get one vaccine over another. Some of those guidelines could come this weekend, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meets to discuss Johnson & Johnson’s version.
“I think there is a feeling in many jurisdictions that it would be great if this vaccine came with very specific recommendations for who should get it and how to use it,” Plescia said.
States also still don’t know how many Johnson & Johnson doses to expect. The Biden government expects to allocate 2 million doses to jurisdictions next week.
Both Johnson & Johnson and federal officials have acknowledged for weeks that the company faced obstacles while ramping up production in the US, prompting the administration adjust her vaccination goals
Last year, states got specific allocations of the vaccine from both Pfizer and Moderna, weeks prior to FDA approval.
“We plan to be ready when EUA is approved. It’s not about standing for EUA, it’s just about having everything locked up, so when EUA decision comes, distribution will be turned on. Americans immediately within 24 hours, ”Gus Perna, head of the Trump administration’s vaccine distribution effort, told reporters last year.
In comparison, prior to this week, Biden government officials had declined to provide a specific number of doses they expected from Johnson & Johnson, let alone what allocations states should expect. Asked if some of the doses would be set aside for pharmacies or other federal programs, the government only said on Monday that it is waiting to finalize its strategy after the FDA and CDC weigh in.
“Once we understand what the scientific community has to say, we will be able to answer, I think, the very pertinent questions on which we need the advice of scientists,” said Andy Slavitt, senior adviser to the White House.