Millions more doses of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine are expected to be shipped after the FDA granted emergency use authorization March 23 to Catalent to help produce the shots, Bloomberg reported.
The FDA granted the authorization to Catalent's facility in Bloomington, Ind., to make the active ingredient for the vaccines and ship the filled and finished product. Catalent is expected to ship millions of doses, Bloomberg reported.
Andy Slavitt, the White House's COVID-19 adviser, said March 22 that Johnson & Johnson would increase vaccine shipments this week and would come close to hitting its goal of 20 million delivered to the U.S. by the end of March, according to Bloomberg. Johnson & Johnson spokesperson Jake Sargent told the publication the drugmaker still expects to hit the target.
Catalent's facility is expected to account for the majority of the March supply. Catalent signed a contract with Johnson & Johnson last year to help produce its vaccine and already has a stockpile of vaccines ready to be sent, according to Inside Indiana Business.
Three top Biden administration officials told Politico March 22 that the federal government was 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. As of March 24, 4.57 million Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been delivered, according to the CDC's data.
Politico also reported March 22 that millions of doses of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine have gone unused. About 2.3 million doses out of 4.3 million had been used as of that date, the publication reported.
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