Dr. Mark McClellan, Johnson & Johnson board member, told CNBC on Friday that there could be enough vaccinations for the entire adult American population by the summer.
“Assuming all of the accurate assessment of the J&J data comes out fully, we will have the capacity between Moderna, Pfizer, J&J to have enough vaccines available for the entire US adult population by June,” McClellan, a former FDA Commissioner, said of “The News with Shepard Smith.”
The US plans to purchase 200 million doses of Covid vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer. The Department of Health and Human Services will increase its vaccine supply to states from 8.6 million to a minimum of 10 million doses per week. So far, states have received more than 49 million doses, but only about half of those have actually ended up in people’s arms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency reports that the US delivers just over a million shots every day.
McClellan said the US should significantly increase the number of injections per day and “get our vaccination capacity closer to 3 million doses per day”.
The United States has ordered 100 million doses of the J&J vaccine, which the company plans to deliver by June. J&J plans to submit an application for emergency use permit next week. If J & J’s vaccine is approved by the FDA, it would be the third vaccine approved for emergency use in the US. Pfizer’s vaccine was approved by the FDA on December 11, and Moderna’s was approved a week later.
The efficacy rates of the J&J vaccine were lower than those for Pfizer and Moderna. Pfizer’s vaccine was found to be 95% effective against Covid-19, while Moderna was found to be about 94% effective. J & J’s vaccine was found to be 66% effective overall in preventing moderate to severe Covid.
Host Shepard Smith asked McClellan about the lower efficacy rates compared to Pfizer and Moderna, explaining to Smith that “we are fighting a different virus today than we were three months ago when previous trials were done.”
In addition, J&J conducted its trial on three continents and the level of protection varied by region. Overall, the vaccine showed 72% effectiveness in the United States and 66% in Latin America. In South Africa, where the dangerous strain B.1.351 of Covid caused an increase in the number of cases, the J&J vaccine showed a 57% effectiveness.
“Unfortunately, we will probably be fighting another virus in three months, so the most important thing in winning this battle is getting as many people vaccinated as possible,” said McClellan. “The sooner we get weapons, the more people we get vaccinated here in this country and around the world, the better we will do to stem the spread and further damage from Covid.”