States won't receive any doses of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine next week, four sources told Politico May 11.
White House officials reportedly told governors on a call May 11 that the supply of Johnson & Johnson vaccines wouldn't be available for states to order next week. It's unclear if the federal government will ship any doses of the shot to pharmacy chains or community health centers, Politico reported.
States, tribes and territories have received less than 1.5 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine in the last two weeks, since the government lifted a recommended pause on the use of the shot, according to Politico.
The White House told states this spring to expect the supply of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine to ramp up at the end of April, but that was before problems at Emergent BioSolutions' production plant in Maryland, where 15 million doses were ruined after a mix-up in the vaccine's ingredients.
Johnson & Johnson has been importing vaccine doses from a facility in the Netherlands, but also has to fulfill vaccine orders from other countries. A Merck facility that will produce the shots in the U.S. won't be ready until September, Politico reported.
The White House, HHS and Johnson & Johnson did not respond to Politico's requests for comment.
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