Johnson & Johnson said Monday it intends to have enough doses of the vaccine for more than 20 million Americans by the end of March, if its vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
The vaccine is expected to join the COVID-19 vaccines already used by Pfizer and Moderna. An FDA advisory committee meets Friday to consider the request, and the emergency clearance could come soon.
The company, for the first time, gave a certain specificity on Monday regarding the number of doses it will have immediately available. The vaccine, unlike those from Pfizer and Moderna, requires a single dose, so 20 million doses would completely vaccinate 20 million people.
“Assuming the necessary regulatory approvals for our manufacturing processes, our plan is to begin delivery immediately after emergency use is authorized and deliver enough single doses by the end of March to allow vaccination of more than 20 million Americans,” Richard Nettles, vice president of U.S. medical affairs for Janssen Pharmaceuticals, part of Johnson & Johnson, said in a statement prepared for the House 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 remains on track to have 100 million doses by the end of the first half of the year.
Doses from Johnson & Johnson, subject to FDA approval, can help speed up the vaccination program by adding to the doses already available from Pfizer and Moderna, and the need for a single dose can simplify the process.
White House officials have previously said they do not expect many Johnson & Johnson doses immediately.
Separately, Pfizer is also expanding its supply. John Young, the company’s business director, said in a testimony posted by the committee that the company will be able to increase production to 13 million doses per week by mid-March, from 4 to 5 million per week in early 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.