Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As First J&J Shots Reach Arms, Biden To Announce Production Help From Merck
The Washington Post: Biden To Announce ‘Historic Partnership’: Merck Will Help Make Johnson & Johnson Coronavirus Vaccine, Officials Say
President Biden will announce Tuesday that pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. will help make Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot coronavirus vaccine — an unusual pact between fierce competitors that could sharply boost the supply of the newly authorized vaccine, according to senior administration officials. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a matter that has not been announced, said they began scouring the country for additional manufacturing capacity after they realized in the first days of the administration that Johnson & Johnson had fallen behind in vaccine production. They soon sought to broker a deal with Merck, one of the world’s largest vaccine makers, which had tried and failed to develop its own coronavirus vaccine. (McGinley and Rowland, 3/2)
The Wall Street Journal: J&J Covid-19 Vaccine Shipments Head For States
Trucks carrying Johnson & Johnson’s newly authorized Covid-19 vaccine began rolling out Monday en route to states and sites that have been seeking more doses to boost vaccinations. McKesson Corp., which is serving as the centralized distributor for J&J vaccines, is working with FedEx and UPS to ship the doses nationwide. The shipments are expected to reach states and vaccination sites as early as Tuesday, the Biden administration said. (Loftus and Thomas, 3/1)
NPR: Johnson & Johnson To Ship Nearly 4 Million COVID-19 Vaccines This Week
Johnson & Johnson has begun shipping nearly 4 million doses of its newly authorized COVID-19 vaccine across the U.S., officials said Monday, and is expected to further scale up supply in the coming weeks and months. "We think literally within about the next 24 to 48 hours, Americans should start receiving shots in arms," Alex Gorsky, Johnson & Johnson's CEO and chairman of the board, told NBC's Today. Both the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on the vaccine over the weekend, making it the third to receive authorization in the United States. It's also the first single-dose vaccine to receive the blessing of U.S. authorities and the only one that does not require ultracold storage. (Treisman, 3/1)
