The United States still expects to meet its COVID-19 vaccine delivery goal despite Johnson & Johnson struggling with production, a senior White House aide said Monday.
Andy Slavitt, chief adviser to President Biden’s coronavirus response team, said the doctor is still on track to deliver 24 million doses in April.
“You can expect even no extra doses from Johnson & Johnson for us to be somewhere in that neighborhood,” Slavitt told a coronavirus briefing.
“You do the math. There is a lot of supply to continue vaccinating Americans to 3 million a day, and then some. Not to mention that there are many doses that have already been distributed in the states. ”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said vaccine deliveries are expected to fall by more than 80 percent this week, although the cause is unclear.
Some state officials blamed a contract factory in Baltimore, where at least 15 million fires were contaminated when workers mixed ingredients with another fire.
But the manufacturing plant has not yet been authorized to deliver doses anyway and is currently awaiting approval from US regulators.
“We are pleased that Johnson and Johnson have taken control of the plant in the meantime, eliminating the confusing factor of another vaccine being produced there,” Slavitt said.
“And I remain confident that they will be able to deliver this month or almost 24 million this month and over or almost 100 million by May.”