BAD NEWS

Factory Screw-Up Halts Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine Shipments

Tens of millions of doses have reportedly been affected.

Future shipments of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine have been delayed due to a human error at a Baltimore factory where the vaccine was being made, The New York Times reports. About 15 million doses of the vaccine slated for delivery over the next month are said to have been affected after factory workers at a plant run by Emergent BioSolutions accidentally mixed up the ingredients of the vaccine. The screw-up is expected to delay future shipments of the vaccine but federal officials cited by the Times said there will still be enough doses of the vaccine by the end of May to stick to President Biden’s promised vaccination timeline. The news comes as many infectious disease experts had pinned their hopes on the one-shot vaccine to help boost immunizations nationwide and reach more vulnerable populations. It also comes as Politico reported that a whistleblower has accused the Food and Drug Administration of ignoring safety and hygiene concerns at a factory in North Carolina where the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was expected to be made.