Johnson & Johnson Stops COVID Vaccine Production

Johnson & Johnson has stopped the production of its Covid-19 vaccine according to the New York Times. The vaccine’s global distributors informed the NYT that they remained oblivious of the manufacturing halt.

According to The New York Times, which cited insiders acquainted with the matter, Johnson & Johnson halted manufacture of its Covid-19 vaccine late last year despite a large effort by the federal government and health authorities to push vaccination.

The halt in manufacturing is said to be temporary, but the vaccine’s only manufacturer in the Dutch city of Leiden has reportedly turned its attention to a possibly more lucrative vaccination for a separate virus.

The company has a stockpile of doses, but it’s uncertain if the production halt has hampered accessibility of the single-jab Covid vaccination. According to one source acquainted with the matter, the stoppage could result in a drop in production of a few hundred million dosages. After a few months of rest, the plant should be able to develop more. According to the New York Times, other factories are seeking regulatory permission or are already producing the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The vaccine’s global distributors informed the New York Times they remained oblivious of the manufacturing halt, with several raising worry about the timing.

“This is not the time to be switching production lines of anything, when the lives of people across the developing world hang in the balance,” Dr. Ayoade Alakija, co-head of African Union vaccine distribution.

Unlike Pfizer and Moderna, Johnson & Johnson’s vaccination simply needs a solitary injection for the preliminary vaccination, whereas the others demand two jabs.

In 2021, the business recorded $2.39 billion in revenue from the Covid vaccine, with a prediction of $3.5 billion in 2022.