The federal government is concerned that Johnson & Johnson may not be able to deliver 20 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine by the end of this month as it had promised to do, three senior Biden administration officials told Politico March 22.
So far, Johnson & Johnson has delivered 4.25 million doses of its vaccine to states, according to the CDC. The drugmaker had said it would deliver a total of 20 million by the end of March, but the rest of the doses may not be ready to ship until the second or third week of April, administration officials told Politico.
Johnson & Johnson spokesperson Jake Sargent told Politico that the drugmaker "expect[s] to deliver 20 million single-shot vaccines by the end of March."
But two senior administration officials told Politico that the current production process may be subject to logistical complications and regulatory delays. The White House didn't provide a comment.
Johnson & Johnson is waiting for the FDA to authorize Emergent Biosolutions and Catalent — two drugmakers that have contracted with Johnson & Johnson to help make its vaccine — to send out the vaccines they agreed to manufacture, according to Politico. That authorization is expected within days, an individual with knowledge of the matter told Politico.
One administration official told Politico the full 20 million dose shipment wasn't expected to be "significantly" postponed.
White House officials have told states to expect about 4 million to 6 million Johnson & Johnson vaccines next week, a source told Politico.
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