Millions of doses of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccines across the country are unused three weeks after the FDA authorized the shots for emergency use, and it's unclear why, Politico reported.
Roughly 2.3 million of the 4.3 million Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines distributed to states have been used, according to Politico.
Biden officials had warned that Johnson & Johnson's vaccine rollout would be rocky in the beginning as there was a limited supply, Politico reported. Reporting lags may compound the problem.
Some states are thought to be intentionally holding back shots, according to Politico. Two senior Biden administration officials told the publication they believe states are conserving their supplies of J&J vaccines until there's enough to reach underserved communities and specific populations.
But multiple state health officials told Politico they're using any vaccine they get as soon as they get it.
"It may be a little bit slower rollout because everybody is trying to decide how to best use this particular vaccine," Marcus Plescia, MD, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, told Politico.
Biden administration officials told the publication they expect the distribution to improve by the end of this month when more Johnson & Johnson vaccines become available.
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