Officials Rush To Save Or Use Millions Of J&J Doses Expiring This Month
As the FDA investigates extending expiration dates, vaccine administrators get mixed messages on what to do with Johnson & Johnson covid vaccines that are closing in on expiry. Efforts to ship the unused doses overseas also face hurdles.
The Wall Street Journal:
Millions Of J&J Covid-19 Vaccines Are At Risk Of Expiring In June
Hospitals, state health departments and the federal government are racing to decide how to use up millions of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine doses that are set to expire this month. The prospect of so many doses going to waste in the U.S. when developing nations are desperate for shots would add pressure on the Biden administration to share stockpiled vaccines. But there are few practical solutions to administering them quickly in the U.S. or distributing them in time to foreign countries, according to those involved in the vaccination drive. (Hopkins and Wernau, 6/8)
KHN:
Unused Johnson & Johnson Covid Doses Are Piling Up As FDA Waits To See If Shelf Life Can Be Extended
The Biden administration is encouraging states to hold on to hundreds of thousands of soon-to-expire covid vaccine doses from Johnson & Johnson, given the possibility that additional data will show the shots are viable beyond their expiration date at month’s end. Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, told state officials during a White House call Tuesday that they could store expired doses until new data shows whether the vaccines are safe to use, according to multiple state officials. (Pradhan and Jewett, 6/8)
ABC News:
Oklahoma May Throw Out Thousands Of COVID-19 Vaccines As Demand Drops
Oklahoma may be forced to throw out tens of thousands of vaccines set to expire in coming weeks, according to the state health department. "We have pulled expired vaccine from active inventory and are in the process of following CDC guidance on proper disposal," Keith Reed, deputy commissioner of the Oklahoma State Department of Health, told ABC News. In addition to a few thousand vaccines that have already gone to waste, there are approximately 80,000 Johnson & Johnson doses set to expire by the end of June, though that number may be adjusted downward after the state evaluates its inventory, according to Reed. (Schumaker, 6/8)
The Hill:
White House: 'Small Fraction' Of COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Will Be Unused
White House officials on Tuesday said they were not concerned about the potential for states to have unused Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses go to waste, adding that the federal government is working on strategies to extend the vaccine's shelf life. "Our first goal and our first opportunity is that every dose that’s been ordered by a governor in a state gets used," White House COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt told reporters. (Weixel, 6/8)
NBC News:
Many Johnson & Johnson Covid Vaccine Doses May Be Close To Expiring
State officials are aware that people in other countries are eager to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, said Dr. Marcus Plescia, medical director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. Plescia described a growing fear among his members that Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses, which are coveted in the developing world, could go to waste if no national effort emerges. (Strickler, 6/8)
In related news, Africa and other nations clamor for shots —
AP:
'This IS INSANE': Africa Desperately Short Of COVID Vaccine
In the global race to vaccinate people against COVID-19, Africa is tragically at the back of the pack. In fact, it has barely gotten out of the starting blocks. In South Africa, which has the continent’s most robust economy and its biggest coronavirus caseload, just 0.8% of the population is fully vaccinated, according to a worldwide tracker kept by Johns Hopkins University. And hundreds of thousands of the country’s health workers, many of whom come face-to-face with the virus every day, are still waiting for their shots. (Imray, 6/9)
Axios:
Mastercard Foundation Donates $1.3 Billion To Africa's COVID-19 Response
The Mastercard Foundation announced a $1.3 billion donation aimed at improving Africa's coronavirus response Tuesday, the Washington Post reports. The funding will be distributed over three years and is intended to help acquire vaccines for more than 50 million people and improve manufacturing and delivery systems. (Reyes, 6/8)
The Washington Post:
Biden’s Global Vaccine Strategy Draws Scrutiny Ahead Of G-7 Pandemic Talks
President Biden is set to take the global stage this week with a coronavirus vaccine-sharing strategy that has been panned by congressional Democrats and some health advocates as too timid, drawn flak from European allies as too bold and led to frustration within his administration. It has also prompted a flurry of White House efforts to answer critics, with new announcements to bolster the plan expected ahead of the president’s appearance at the Group of Seven summit in Britain this weekend. (Diamond and Rauhala, 6/8)
