The White House said Friday that Johnson & Johnson will deliver at least 11 million doses next week, a significant increase to meet the company’s target of 20 million total doses by the end of March.
Whether the company could meet the 20 million dose target was uncertain, as Johnson & Johnson faced uneven production.
But the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients
Jeff ZientsTop Industry Groups Press Administration For May 1 Roadmap To Reopen International Travel US Pressures To Share Vaccines With Rest Of World Sunday Shows Preview: Democrats Declare Victory Over COVID-19 Stimulus; Vaccination Efforts Offer Hope For Summer MORE said Friday that the company is ready to hit the mark.
“The company has said they will deliver the 20 million by the end of March,” Zients said at a news conference. “And from our discussions with the company, they seem on track to reach that goal with at least 11 million doses to be delivered next week.”
The White House has partnered with the company to try to increase production. There was a relatively small number of doses, 4 million, available when the vaccine was first approved in late February.
At the beginning of March, the supply was also lacking, but the company has now significantly increased its production.
“We’ve done a lot to help J&J,” said Zients. “We are following that very closely.”
Pfizer and Moderna, which have had more stable manufacturing processes, are also on track to meet their targets by the end of March, Zients said. Pfizer had previously set a target of 120 million total doses by the end of March, with 100 million for Moderna.
President Biden
Joe Biden The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden shifts on filibuster GOP appears to weigh on Biden, Democrats at the border Sanders creates new headache for Biden over taxes MORE on Thursday increased its target to deliver 200 million shots in its first 100 days, and the country averages about 2.5 million shots a day, a brisk pace.
About half of the states will be eligible for all adults by mid-April, Zients said. Biden has set a goal for all states to be eligible for all adults by May 1.