U.S. to buy additional 100 million Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine doses
President Biden is to announce Wednesday that the U.S. is buying an additional 100 million doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
The drugmaker is already obligated to supply 100 million doses to the federal government by the end of June. The additional doses would be delivered in the months following.
A White House official previewed the news on the condition of anonymity before the president’s remarks.
The U.S. is set to receive enough doses of the three approved COVID-19 vaccines — from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson — by the middle of May to cover all adults. The surplus would ensure supply to cover young adults and children, pending the result of safety and efficacy trials.
They could also be used as potential “boosters” to further protect against emerging coronavirus variants, or be shared with allies overseas once Americans are protected.
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