Johnson & Johnson said Monday that they plan to have enough doses of the vaccine for more than 20 million Americans by the end of March if the vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
The vaccine is eagerly awaited as the next in line to join the COVID-19 vaccines already in use by Pfizer and Moderna. An FDA advisory committee is meeting Friday to consider the application, and emergency approval could come soon.
The company gave a little specific on Monday for the first time regarding the amount of doses it will have available immediately. The vaccine, unlike that of Pfizer and Moderna, requires only one dose, so 20 million doses will vaccinate 20 million people completely.
“Based on the necessary regulatory approvals regarding our manufacturing processes, our plan is to begin shipping immediately after authorization for emergency use, and by the end of March to deliver enough single doses to enable the vaccination of more than 20 million Americans, “said Richard Nettles, Vice President of U.S. Medical Affairs for Janssen Pharmaceuticals, part of Johnson & Johnson, in prepared remarks to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The comments were posted online by the committee ahead of the trial Tuesday with several vaccine manufacturers.
The company also said it would reach 100 million doses by the end of the first half of the year.
The doses of Johnson & Johnson, assuming FDA authorization, can help speed up the vaccination program by adding the doses already available at Pfizer and Moderna, and requiring only one dose, can simplify the process .
White House officials said earlier that they did not immediately expect many Johnson & Johnson doses.
Separately, Pfizer is also increasing its offering. John Young, chief operating officer of the company, said in a testimony from the committee that by mid-March the company would be able to increase production to 13 million doses per week, from 4 to 5 million per week at the beginning of February. .
The company says it is on track for 120 million doses by the end of March and 200 million doses by the end of May.