Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine has hit a manufacturing problem, potentially delaying the delivery of millions of life-saving shots by two months, according to a Wednesday report.
The pharmaceutical giant, which pledged to make 12 million of the single dose of injections available by the end of February, warned health officials that the company has fallen behind, according to Politico.
It may now take Johnson & Johnson until the end of April to catch up with that original projection, a person briefed on the matter told the outlet.
But a representative for the pharmaceutical giant denied there was any slowdown in production – saying the company is “confident in our ability to meet our 2021 delivery commitments.”
“We continue to actively engage with regulatory authorities, including on the approval and validation of our manufacturing processes,” said the representative. “Operation Warp Speed is partnering with Johnson & Johnson to scale up and maximize production of the Janssen vaccine … It is premature to make forecasts at this point.”
On Monday, Operation Warp Speed Co-Director Moncef Slaoui hinted that Johnson & Johnson’s original target of 12 million could be delayed, saying “one-digit million” doses would likely be delivered by the second half of February.
The company, which has pledged to release 100 million doses by the end of June, will seek urgent FDA approval for its COVID-19 vaccine later this month.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is considered critical to fighting the pandemic, in part because it requires only one dose – and does not need to be stored at freezing temperatures.
In contrast, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two separate doses. The Pfizer vaccine should be stored at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit.