Johnson & Johnson expects vaccine results soon but lags in production

Johnson & Johnson could potentially unveil the results of its COVID-19 vaccine trial within as little as 2 weeks, but it likely will be unable to provide as many doses this spring as it pledged to the federal government because of manufacturing delays. The company’s vaccine would require only a single dose and can stay stable in a refrigerator for months. Johnson & Johnson in August signed a $1 billion contract with the federal government to have 12 million doses of its vaccine ready by the end of February, rising to a total of 100 million doses by the end of June. However, sources say the company has fallen behind schedule by as much as 2 months and would not be able to catch up until the end of April. Paul Stoffels, MD, Johnson & Johnson’s chief scientific officer, said he anticipates by late January or early February to have to clinical trial data showing whether the company’s vaccine is safe and effective, but he would not provide details about the company’s production capacity. If the data is positive and FDA authorizes the vaccine for emergency use, “hopefully somewhere in March we’ll be able to contribute” to the nation’s vaccination drive, he said.