Johnson & Johnson said on Monday that it plans to have sufficient doses of its vaccine for more than 20 million Americans by the end of March, if its vaccine is authorized by the Food and Drug Administration.
The vaccine is being looked forward to as the next in line to join the COVID-19 vaccines already in use by Pfizer and Moderna. An FDA advisory committee will meet on Friday to consider the request, and an emergency authorization may come soon after.
The company for the first time on Monday gave some specificity as to the number of doses it will have immediately available. The vaccine, unlike Pfizer and Moderna, requires only one dose, so 20 million doses would completely vaccinate 20 million people.
“Assuming the necessary regulatory approvals related to our manufacturing processes, our plan is to start shipping immediately after emergency use authorization and deliver enough single doses by the end of March to allow vaccinations for more than 20 million Americans,” Richard Nettles, vice president of US medical affairs at Janssen Pharmaceuticals, part of Johnson & Johnson, said in comments prepared for the Chamber’s Energy and Commerce Committee. The comments were posted online by the committee ahead of Tuesday’s hearing with several vaccine manufacturers.
The company also said it continues at a pace of 100 million doses until the end of the first half.
Johnson & Johnson doses, assuming FDA authorization, can help speed up the vaccination program by adding to the doses already available at Pfizer and Moderna, and the need for just one dose can simplify the process.
White House officials had previously said they did not expect many doses from Johnson & Johnson immediately.
Separately, Pfizer is also increasing its supply. John Young, the company’s business director, said in a statement posted by the committee that the company will be able to increase production to 13 million doses a week by mid-March, from 4 to 5 million a week in early February.
The company says it continues on its way to 120 million doses by the end of March and 200 million doses by the end of May.