The US still expects to meet its target of delivering COVID-19 vaccines, despite Johnson & Johnson struggling with production, a senior White House aide said Monday.
Andy Slavitt, a senior adviser to President Biden’s coronavirus response team, said the drugmaker is still on track to deliver 24 million doses by April.
“You can expect to be somewhere in that area even without extra doses of Johnson & Johnson,” Slavitt said at a news conference about the coronavirus.
‘You do the math. There is plenty of supply to continue to vaccinate Americans at 3 million a day, and then some. Not to mention that many doses have already been spread across states. “
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had said deliveries of the vaccine would drop by more than 80 percent this week, although the cause is unclear.
Some government officials blamed a contract factory in Baltimore where at least 15 million shots were spoiled when workers allegedly mixed ingredients through another shot.
But the plant was not yet authorized to deliver doses anyway and is currently awaiting approval from US regulators.
“We are pleased that Johnson and Johnson have meanwhile taken control of the plant and eliminated the disruptive factor of another vaccine produced there,” Slavitt said.
“And they remain confident that they can deliver at or near 24 million this month and more than or close to 100 million in May.”