Johnson & Johnson to partner with Merck to produce COVID-19 vaccine doses

Mar 02, 2021 - 03:02 PM
White House image

President Biden today announced a major partnership between Johnson & Johnson and Merck to manufacture the latest COVID-19 vaccine to be authorized for emergency use in the U.S.

The arrangement includes activating the Defense Production Act to help equip two Merck facilities to produce the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, including a fill-finish facility to fill vials and package shots for distribution. The other facility will produce the vaccine itself.

The arrangement is expected to boost lagging Johnson & Johnson supply issues, which will fall significantly short of an initial goal of delivering 12 million shots by the end of February. Instead, Johnson & Johnson, whose vaccine earned a Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization over the weekend, revised its expectations to 20 million does by the end of March, and 100 million by June.

Related News Articles

Headline
CDC report finds COVID-19 vaccine for children reduced chances of ED, urgent care visits
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dec. 11 released a report that found last year’s version of the COVID-19 vaccine was 76% effective in preventing…
Headline
AHA responds to FDA request for information on AI-enabled medical devices
The AHA provided recommendations to the Food and Drug Administration Dec. 1 in response to a request for information on the measurement and evaluation of…
Headline
Permanent recall issued for Baxter ventilation system
The Food and Drug Administration has identified a Class I recall of Baxter Life2000 Ventilation Systems due to a cybersecurity issue discovered through…
Headline
CDC data shows rise in flu, COVID-19 cases across states 
Flu cases are growing or likely growing in 39 states, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from Nov. 11. COVID-19…
Headline
Recall issued for mislabeled potassium chloride
The Food and Drug Administration yesterday published an announcement from Otsuka ICU Medical saying that the company issued a voluntary recall for a mislabeled…
Headline
Study finds flu, COVID-19 infection temporarily raises risk of heart attack, stroke 
A study published Oct. 30 by the American Heart Association found that people have an elevated risk of heart attack and stroke following flu and COVID-19…