Johnson & Johnson to Ship Fewer Than 10 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Promised by End of February

By Joshua Summers First Posted: Feb 24, 2021 01:11 AM EST

Johnson and Johnson’s Promise of 10 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses by the End of February, Falls Short

(Photo : Michael Ciaglo)
Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center investigational pharmacy technician Sara Berech is reflected in the glass of a fume hood as she prepares a dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for a clinical trial on December 15, 2020 in Aurora, Colorado.

The effort of inoculating all Americans with the COVID-19 vaccines flails the supply of the doses. With Pfizer and Moderna on the move to release more dosage, Johnson & Johnson will fail to live up to their commitment of 10 million vaccine doses by the end of February, as their supply falls short.

With the Biden administration securing deals for 600 million COVID-19 vaccine doses for America's constituents, the crusade for COVID-19 vaccine injection continues until the nation achieves herd immunity.

Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine

CBS News reported that the company expects to fall short on their COVID-19 vaccine as they disclose their company is falling behind their production goals. The company only has four million vaccine doses ready to be transported once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted its emergency use authorization (EUA).

According to a U.S. News Chant report, Johnson & Johnson pledged to ship another 25 million vaccine doses by the end of March. Dr. Richard Nettles, Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen's vice chairman of medical affairs, said their company is confident in its plan to deliver 100 million doses by the end of June.

CBS News reported that the single-dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson can be stored in the standard refrigerator temperatures for about three months and has been heralded as a significant advance in the U.S. vaccine effort despite its slightly lower efficacy.

Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said the vaccine from Johnson & Johnson is what he prefers since it is a single dose, very easy to ship and administer, and it does not have complicated requirements.

CBS News also reported that the Biden administration anticipates allotting two million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine next week. But Both Johnson & Johnson and federal officials acknowledged for weeks that the firm confronted obstacles as it ramped up production in the U.S. This prompted the Biden administration to modify their vaccination goals.

COVID-19 Vaccines and the United States

According to Medical News Today, there are 11 vaccines authorized across several countries so far. The report noted that the vaccine by Johnson & Johnson called the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is a single-dose viral vector inoculation and has 66 percent efficacy in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19.

The company expects the EUA from the U.S. FDA soon. But they were concerns about the vaccine's availability once U.S. authorities add it to the national vaccination rollout.

Meanwhile, vaccine advisers to the FDA will meet Friday to discuss whether to recommend the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for EUA. With fewer doses expected from Johnson & Johnson, the administration has not made any plans yet to distribute the vaccine if it wins authorization.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the third under consideration for the U.S. market and only the first single-dose COVID-19 shot available so far.