Johnson & Johnson Is Teaming Up With Its Rival to Make More Doses
The Biden administration brokered the deal between the two competitors
Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot Covid-19 vaccine was authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday, but the bulk of its doses won’t be available until the end of March. Manufacturing delays have stalled production of the vaccine at the company’s plant in Baltimore.
To help speed up manufacturing, the Biden administration has brokered a deal between Johnson & Johnson and its competitor Merck, which ended its own vaccine development program in January. As Bloomberg reported today, Biden is expected to announce the “historic partnership” at the White House this afternoon.
Merck will dedicate two of its U.S. facilities to helping make Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, according to the Washington Post. It has the potential to double what Johnson & Johnson can produce independently. Johnson & Johnson has allocated 3.9 million doses for immediate distribution and has committed to supplying 16 million more by the end of March.
Read more about the agreement below:
More on Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine:
Read up on the details of the third vaccine available in the United States:
- Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is safe, effective, and only needs one shot. Dr Jeff Livingston explains how it could help save lives.
- The available vaccines protect against illness, but questions remain about their ability to prevent infection. The early data on Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is promising.
- Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is highly anticipated because it only requires one shot. That’s because it uses viral vector technology to deliver the vaccine.
