The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) formally accepted Sunday its board’s recommendation that Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine be given to people 18 years of age or older in the United States.
The announcement by the CDC director Rochelle WalenskyRochelle Walensky Night Health Care: FDA Group Supports Johnson & Johnson Vaccine | The CDC director warns that the fall in cases “may be stopped” Biden administration buys 100,000 doses of Lilly antibody drug FDA panel endorses Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine CDC director warns that decline in COVID-19 cases “may be stopped” in “so makes the change “MORE will allow vaccinations to begin as soon as doses are received.
Walensky called the decision “another milestone toward the end of the pandemic.”
“This vaccine is also another important tool in our toolbox to vaccinate equitably as many people as possible, as soon as possible,” Walensky said in a statement.
A senior administration official told reporters Sunday evening that Johnson & Johnson (J&J) will immediately ship 3.9 million doses and that vaccine distribution centers will begin receiving them as early as Tuesday.
Experts have said the vaccine could be targeted at places such as rural communities, health centers and individual medical offices because of its relatively easy storage requirements.
However, senior government officials said the goal is an equitable distribution and that doses will be allocated to states by population, as are Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.
Most communities will have doses of all three vaccines, but not all vaccination sites will do so due to limited availability. Officials have stressed that people should take any available vaccine.
An administration official said the 3.9 million doses are all Johnson & Johnson inventory. There will be no additional deliveries next week, and the official said governors know the distribution in early and mid-March will be “uneven.”
A total of 20 million doses of J&J vaccine will be shipped in March, but more will be concentrated by the end of the month. The United States has paid 100 million doses, which the company promised to deliver in June.
The United States paid more than $ 1 billion to help manufacture and deliver the J&J vaccine. Nearly a year ago, the company also earned $ 465 million in federal funding for vaccine research and development, adding that its total U.S. funding was nearly $ 1.5 billion.
The nation’s third coronavirus vaccine comes days after the United States surpassed 500,000 deaths from COVID-19.
Although deaths in residences have been falling sharply, as have cases and general deaths, the CDC warns that the decline in new cases has stalled amid an increase in the more contagious variants of the virus.
At the same time, governors across the country are lifting coronavirus restrictions, including mask mandates and capability limits, despite warning signs of a further rise in virus mutations.
“This third safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine comes at a potentially crucial time,” Walensky said in the statement.
“The latest CDC data suggests that recent falls in COVID-19 cases may be stagnant and potentially drop to a still very high number. That’s why it’s so critical that we be alert and constantly take all mitigation. the steps we know work to stop the spread of COVID-19 as we work toward mass vaccination, ”Walensky said.
Updated at 6:22 p.m.