Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson has halted manufacturing of its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, in response to a New York Instances report.
The pharmaceutical firm final yr quietly shut down manufacturing at a plant in Leiden, Netherlands, which was the one facility the place usable doses of the vaccine have been manufactured, catching a few of its prospects off guard, together with creating nations that want the single-dose J&J drug over two-dose alternate options, the report states.
Johnson & Johnson has as an alternative been utilizing the plant to work on an experimental and doubtlessly extra worthwhile drug that might shield towards an unrelated respiratory virus, in response to the report.
The plant is anticipated to renew manufacturing of the COVID-19 vaccine, however it's unclear when.
J&J didn't touch upon the plant closure studies, however stated in a press release to CBS Information "we presently have tens of millions of doses of our COVID-19 vaccine in stock" and "we proceed to meet our contractual obligations ... [to] the African Union."
Vaccine of selection for poorer nations
The J&J vaccine, referred to as the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, made by Janssen Biotech, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, is the vaccine of selection for poorer nations which might be relying on the drugmaker to assist them battle the pandemic.
Wealthier nations just like the U.S. have favored photographs from Moderna and Pfizer, as a result of the 2 seem like simpler towards COVID-19 variants like Omicron, and since the Janssen vaccine has, up to now, been linked to uncommon however doubtlessly life-threatening blood clots.
Provided that just one dose of the J&J vaccine is required, although, it is cheaper than its double-dose counterparts and in addition simpler to ship, making it widespread in lower-income nations.