Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be distributed to people in the United States just days after the vaccine received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.
The CEO of Johnson & Johnson said on Monday that the single-shot vaccines are “on trucks” and on the way to arms across the country.
“We think, literally, within about the next 24 to 48 hours, Americans should start receiving shots in arms. They’re literally rolling out with the trucks as we speak,” said Alex Gorsky on Today. “This is the culmination of more than a year of day-and-night efforts on the part of our physicians, our scientists, our engineers, to have a safe, effective, single-shot, common-refrigeration vaccine available.”
FDA AUTHORIZES JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE FOR USE, BRINGING US CLOSER TO MEETING DEMAND
It was reported over the weekend that Johnson & Johnson told officials in the Biden administration that weekly supplies of the vaccines distributed to states will be limited for the next couple of weeks and that deliveries are expected to be uneven through much of March.
Gorsky was asked about reports of his company being “a couple months behind schedule” and whether he thinks they can make up for that lost time.
“Absolutely,” he said. “As I said, we are shipping 4 million literally as I speak. We’re committed to doing 100 million by June of this year and up to a billion by the end of 2020.”
The CEO noted that because the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is single-dose, the 100 million figure means that 100 million people will be vaccinated.
“It’s also important to remember, when we say 100 million doses by June, that means 100 million vaccinations, patients that will have been treated. So we’re excited. We’re going to work hard to make sure that we follow through on all those commitments, and we think it’s really important for the country and the world,” Gorsky said.
The Food and Drug Administration granted the emergency use authorization for the vaccine on Saturday after experts voted unanimously on Friday to recommend it. Unlike the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, the Johnson & Johnson alternative only takes one shot and does not require intensive storage and transportation guidelines.
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Representatives for Johnson & Johnson did not immediately reply to the Washington Examiner‘s request for comment.
